
Book. .A^-LjI 
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COEeRIGHT DEPOSm 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 








ON THE SUMAIIT OF THE HILL STANDS ONE OF THE MOST DELECTABLE PA 



Page 2S 



LEGENDS OF 
THE ALHAMBRA 

By WASHINGTON IRVING 

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS & DECO- 
RATIONS BY GEORGE HOOD 

AND AN INTRODUCTION BY 
HAMILTON WRIGHT MABIE 




PHILADELPHIA & LONDON 
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 

1909 






COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY J. B. LIPPINGOTT COMPANY 



PUBLISHED OCTOBER, 1909 



iCI.A25i603 



PRINTED BY J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY 
THE WASHINGTON SQUARE IiRi:SS, PHILADELPHIA, U. S. A 
















CONTENTS 



PAGB 

Introduction ix 

, The Arabian Astrologer 1 

Prince Ahmed al Kamel; or The Pilgrim of Love.... 31 

The Moor's Legacy 77 

The Three Beautiful Princesses 109 

The Rose of the Alhambra 145 

The Two Discreet Statues 169 

Don Munio Sancho De Hinojosa 197 

The Enchanted Soldier 209 



i 




ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGB 

On the summit of the hill stands one of the most delectable 
palaces Frontispiece 

" Go, happy bird," said he 45 

In the centre stood a great chest, at each end of which sat an 

enchanted Moor 96 

They had delightful gardens for their recreation 115 

It tossed about the waters till the Moorish female again rose 

to view 161 

She displayed a broad golden band around her waist and a 

golden chain that fastened her to the ground 178 

The ravine was overshadowed. It was dark and lonely 220 



INTRODUCTION 

" The Alliambra " was published in Philadelphia, 
in 1832, in one of the most fortunate years in Irving's 
life. He had returned from his second absence in 
Europe, which had extended to seventeen years, to 
find himself welcomed with an affection that sur- 
prised and touched him deeply. At a dinner given in 
his honor in the old City Hotel in New York Chan- 
cellor Kent, who presided, addressed him as " our 
illustrious guest, thrice welcome to his native land; " 
and Charles King, president of Columbia College, was 
struck by the spontaneity of both the homage and the 
hilarity of the festivity. 

Both were evoked by the reputation and geniality 
of Irving ; he had come home bringing a more abund- 
ant harvest of honors than any other American had 
received from the Old World ; he had made friends of 
many of the wi'iters whose stars shone with more than 
their wonted fires in the eyes of Americans still in 
a provincial attitude toward Europe; he had writ- 
ten books which were read with delight on both sides 
of the Atlantic ; he had been honored bj^ a degree from 
Oxford; he had lived on intimate terms with localities 
and buildings which were only names to most Ameri- 
cans; but names upon which rested the splendor of 



INTRODUCTION 

great traditions. To his compatriots the Alhambra 
was ahnost as remote and inaccessible as a palace in 
the " Arabian Nights," and not less magical in its 
beauty. 

And Irving's personality was as winning as his 
opportunities of seeing the world had been rare. A 
woman who met him on his earlier visit to Europe 
described him as " thoroughly a gentleman, not 
merely in external manners and look, but to the inner- 
most fibre and core of his heart; sweet-tempered, 
gentle, fastidious, sensitive, and gifted with the 
warmest affections; the most delightful and invari- 
ably interesting companion; gay and full of humor. 
. . . a gift of conversation that flowed like a river 
in sunshine — bright, easy and abundant." The 
" Salmagundi " papers and " A History of New 
York " had taken their place among the beginnings 
of American literature; they recorded the first im- 
pressions of an essayist whose humor and sentiment 
showed that the men and women of the new country 
were beginning to take life more easily than their 
forefathers, the colonists, and to enjoy its sources of 
pleasure and society as well as its opportunities for 
work. 

The " Sketch-Book," the earliest record of 
Irving's impressions of the Old World and the be- 
ginning of that series of chronicles of old-time story 
and studies of contemporary European life which 



INTRODUCTION 

went far to reunite the new nation in the west with 
the older peoples beyond the seas, appeared in 1820 
and took the hungry imagination of Americans by 
storm, so to speak. 

It was touched with a romantic feeling the ex- 
pression of which had been conspicuously lacking in 
New World writing, which had concerned itself 
chie% with descriptions of the strange environment 
in which the colonists found themselves, or with 
speculations regarding their future destiny when the 
toils and dangers of setthng a new country had been 
exchanged for the occupations of the saved or lost 
in a world of sharply defined joys and equally definite 
punislmients. 

To the imagination of provincial America, Irving 
and Longfellow brought the refreshment of old 
world legend, story, art, and landscape, and gave the 
undeveloped literary impulse and feeling of Ameri- 
cans the education and inspiration of a fresh and fer- 
tilizing contact with the civilization of the older 
nations. Irving rekindled a love of old English ways 
and landscape by Ms charming essays on Stratford, 
Westminster Abbey, and ancient Christmas customs 
in hall and cottage; while Longfellow, in tale and 
song, recalled the romance of Kfe in the middle ages, 
the quaint charai of old German cities, the poetic 
traditions of imaginative peoples from the fiords of 
Norway to Sicily. 



INTRODUCTION 

In this process of reuniting the New World to 
the Old there are no more fascinating chapters than 
the reports of Moorish and Spanish life which grew 
out of Irving's residence in Spain. In May, 1815, 
he sailed for Europe not to return for seventeen 
years. In February, 1826, eleven years after land- 
ing in Liverpool, he went to Spain and remained 
there until September, 1829; and no part of his 
foreign residence was richer in stimulating experience 
and none so productive as these three years in Spain. 
To these prolific years we owe " The Alhambra," 
" The Conquest of Granada," " The Legends of the 
Conquest of Spain," and " The Lives of Columbus 
and His Companions." 

The plan to translate certain historical documents 
in Madrid, wliich originally took Irving to Spain, 
brought him in contact with a mass of ancient 
chronicles and legends, abounding in the most fas- 
cinating characters and adventures, led first to the 
writing of the life of Columbus and, later, to the 
group of works to which the charm of his style gives 
an added fascination. No man of letters ever came 
in contact with material more congenial: " I am more 
and more delighted with the old literature of the 
country, its chronicles, plays, and romances," he 
wrote. " As I live in the neighborhood of the library 
of the Jesuit College of St. Isidoro, I pass most of 
my mornings there. You cannot think what a delight 



INTRODUCTION 

I feel in passing through its galleries, filled with old 
parchment-bound books. It is a perfect wilderness of 
curiosity to me. What a deep-felt, quiet luxury there 
is in delving into the rich ore of these old, neglected 
volumes." 

The story of the Moors in Spain took possession 
of his imagination and his feelings were deeply stirred 
by the tragedy of the ill-starred Saracens in a land 
u])on which they had stamped their romantic and 
refined genius: " But Granada, bellissima Granada! 
Think what must have been our delight when, after 
I^assing the famous bridge of Pinos, the scene of many 
a bloody encounter between Moor and Christian. . . . 
we turned a promontory of the arid mountains of 
Elvira, and Granada, with its towers, its Alhambra, 
and its many mountains, burst upon our sight! The 
evening sun shone gloriously upon its red towers as 
we approached it, and gave a mellow tone to the rich 
scenery of the Vega. It was like the magic glow 
which poetry and romance have shed on this enchant- 
ing place." 

That poetry and romance it was his happy fortune 
to transfer to his records of the palace, the first 
sight of which claimed him as its chosen historian 
and secretary. The longer he looked at the Alhambra 
and the more familiar he became with its structure and 
traditions the more completely he fell under the spell 
of its beauty and romantic history, and the more 



INTRODUCTION 

sensitive he became to the taste and genius of the 
Moors: " It is impossible to contemplate this delicious 
abode and not feel an admiration of the genius and 
poetical spirit of those who first de\dsed this earthly 
paradise." 

He was fortunate enough in May, 1829, when 
the nightingales were flooding the valleys with their 
pathetic melody, by permission of the Governor of 
the Alhambra, to make his home in the palace ; to see 
the almost innumerable rooms at his leisure, to break- 
fast in the great Chamber of the Ambassadors or in 
the Court of Lions, and to wander at will by moon- 
light through the enchanted pile. One window of his 
room looked into a lovely garden, another into the 
deep valley of the Darro; the sound of running 
water, the humming of bees, the song of birds, w^ere 
always in liis ears. Under these circumstances and with 
access to old records of many kinds it was inevitable 
that Irving should yield to the compelling chami of 
the Alhambra and become its devout and sympathetic 
recorder: " I am determined to linger here," he wrote, 
" until I get some writings under way connected 
with the place, and that shall bear the stamp of real 
intimacy with the charming scenes described." There 
could be no better characterization of the fascinating 
chapters of " The Alhambra; " the note of intimacy 
is as unmistakable as the sensitiveness of imagination, 
the sincerity of feeling, and the quiet charm of style. 



INTRODUCTION 

On the 29th of July, 1829, Irving left the Alham- 
bra, " after having passed between two and three 
months there in a kind of Oriental dream." Three 
years later in May he was again in New York, and the 
Alhambra appeared the following month. It was 
dedicated to David Wilkie, the popular painter, who 
had been his companion during happy days in Spain, 
and it found a welcome, intensified perhaps by the 
fact that its author had recently returned from r. long 
absence, during which he secured a foreign reputa- 
tion of an enviable kind and had become one of the 
foremost Americans of the time. Prescott happily 
characterized it as a " beautiful Spanish Sketch 
Book " and Edward Everett commented on its 
felicity, finish and elegance. Its charm resides in its 
tender feeling, its romantic temper, the fascinating 
figures which appear in its pages, the pathos of the 
fate which overshadows the civilization it reflects, and 
the delightful flow and ease of its style. Of that 
style the poet Campbell laid bare the secret when 
he said: "Washington Irving has added clarity to 
the English tongue." 

The most characteristic part of " The Alliambra " 
is the charming group of Legends which are presented 
in tliis volume, and which happily illustrate not only 
the Moorish genius for romance, but the kinship of 
Irving's imagination with motives and themes that 
give full play to sentiment, and the felicity of Irving's 



INTRODUCTION 

style in transferring glowing feeling and passionate 
devotion from one language to another. Men of 
Oriental blood had been story-tellers in the streets of 
Bagdad; Arabic astronomers, mathematicians, and 
philosophers of keen insight exercised later great 
influence on the thought of Europe; they were also 
devoted lovers, not only of women but of adventure, 
magic, and the marvellous in all its forms. The race 
in Spain preserved its intellectual traits while refining 
its tastes and developing its sldll in the arts and in 
in the finer resources of civilization. 

This transition is distinctly seen in the marked 
development of romantic feeling in the Legends of 
" The Alhambra." They abound in the mar^^els with 
which " The Arabian Nights " familiarized the west- 
ern world ; but the stories as Irving tells them reflect 
the high ideals of chivalry, the active valor of patriot- 
ism, the poetry of a love which is Oriental in its 
abandon ; its glowing speech, its luxury of setting, but 
which strikes the note of sentiment as distinctly as the 
older stories struck the note of passion. Irving was 
deeply affected, not only by the evidences of Moorish 
genius and taste in Granada, but by the heroic and 
romantic notes in Moorish history; the pathos of a 
story in which sentiment was as conspicuous as valor. 
The legends interpret the opulent beauty and Oriental 
richness of " The Alhambra; " they also interpret the 
ardor, devotion and romantic feeling of the Moors; 



INTRODUCTION 

and they illustrate the growth in the love of beauty, in 

gentleness of manners, and in the idealism in love 

which had come to the Arabic race in Spain. 

Hamilton W. Mabie. 
August, 1909 



LEGEND OF THE 
ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



ir.f^^. >-•*■" •-•*•; 




LEGEND OF THE ARABIAN 
ASTROLOGER 



In old times, many hundred years ago, there was 
a Moorish king named Aben Habuz, who reigned over 
the kingdom of Granada. He was a retired con- 
queror, that is to say, one who having in his more 
youthful days led a life of constant foray and depre- 
dation, now that he was grown feeble and superan- 
nuated, " languished for repose," and desired nothing 
more than to live at peace with all the world, to hus- 
band his laurels, and to enjoy in quiet the possessions 
he had wrested from his neighbors. 

It so happened, however, that this most reasonable 
and pacific old monarch had young rivals to deal with ; 
princes full of his early passion for fame and fighting, 
and who were disposed to call him to account for the 
scores he had run up with their fathers. Certain dis- 
tant districts of his own territories, also, which during 
the days of his vigor he had treated with a high hand, 
were prone, now that he languished for repose, to rise 
in rebellion and threaten to invest him in his capital. 
Thus he had foes on every side; and as Granada is 
surrounded by wild and craggy mountains, which hide 
the approach of an enemy, the unfortunate Aben 






?> 



/• 



*> 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Habuz was kept in a constant state of vigilance and 
alarm, not knowing in what quarter hostilities might 
break out. 

It was in vain that he built watchtowers on the 
mountains, and stationed guards at every pass with 
orders to make fires by night and smoke by day, on 
the approach of an enemy. His alert foes, baffling 
every precaution, would break out of some un- 
thought-of defile, ravage his lands beneath his very 
nose, and then make oiF with prisoners and booty to 
the mountains. Was ever peaceable and retired con- 
queror in a more uncomfortable predicament? 

While Aben Habuz was harassed by these per- 
plexities and molestations, an ancient Arabian physi- 
cian arrived at his court. His gray beard descended 
to his girdle, and he had every mark of extreme age, 
yet he had travelled almost the whole way from Egypt 
on foot, with no other aid than a staff, marked with 
hieroglyphics. His fame had preceded him. His 
name was Ibrahim Ebn Abu Ayub, he was said to 
have lived ever since the days of Mahomet, and to be 
son of Abu Ayub, the last of the companions of the 
Prophet. He had, when a child, followed the conquer- 
ing army of Amru into Egypt, where he had remained 
many years studying the dark sciences, and particu- 
larly magic, among the Egyptian priests. 

It was, moreover, said that he had found out the 
secret of prolonging life, by means of which he had 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



arrived to the great age of upwards of two centuries, 
though, as he did not discover the secret until well 
stricken in j'-ears, he could only perpetuate his gray 
hairs and wrinkles. 

This wonderful old man was honorably enter- 
tained by the king; who, like most superannuated 
monarchs, began to take phj'-sicians into great favor. 
He would have assigned him an apartment in his 
palace, but the astrologer preferred a cave in the side 
of the hill which rises above the city of Granada, being 
the same on which the Alhambra has since been built. 
He caused the cave to be enlarged so as to form a 
spacious and lofty hall, with a circular hole at the top, 
through which, as through a well, he could see the 
heavens and behold the stars even at mid-day. The 
walls of this hall were covered with Egyptian hiero- 
glyphics, with cabalistic symbols, and with the figures 
of the stars in their signs. This hall he furnished with 
many implements, fabricated under his directions by 
cunning artificers of Granada, but the occult proper- 
ties of which were known only to himself. 

In a little while the sage Ibrahim became the 
bosom counsellor of the king, who applied to him for 
advice in every emergency. Aben Habuz was once 
inveighing against the injustice of his neighbors, and 
bewailing the restless vigilance he had to observe to 
guard himself against their invasions; when he had 
finished, the astrologer remained silent for a moment, 



ji^ 



li 




LEGENDS OF THE ALIIAMBRA 




and then replied, " Know, O king, that when I was 
in Egypt I beheld a great marvel devised by a pagan 
priestess of old. On a mountain, above the city of 
Borsa, and overlooking the great valley of the Nile, 
was a figure of a ram, and above it a figure of a cock, 
both of molten brass, and turning upon a pivot. 
Whenever the country was threatened with invasion, 
the ram w^ould turn in the direction of the enemy, and 
the cock would crow ; upon this the inhabitants of the 
city knew of the danger, and of the quarter from 
which it was approaching, and could take timely 
means to guard against it." 

"God is great!" exclaimed the pacific Aben 
Habuz, " what a treasure would be such a ram to keep 
an eye upon these mountains around me; and then 
such a cock, to crow in time of danger ! Allah Akbar ! 
how securely I might sleep in my palace with such 
sentinels on the top ! " 

The astrologer waited until the ecstasies of the 
king had subsided, and then proceeded. 

" After the victorious Amru (may he rest in 
peace!) had finished his conquest of Egypt, I re- 
mained among the priests of the land, studying the 
rites and ceremonies of their idolatrous faith, and 
seeking to make myself master of the hidden knowl- 
edge for which they are renowned. I was one day 
seated on the banks of the Nile, conversing with an 
ancient priest, when he pointed to the mighty pyra- 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



mids which rose hke mountains out of the neighboring 
desert. ' All that we can teach thee,' said he, ' is noth- 
ing to the knowledge locked up in those mighty piles. 
In the centre of the central pyramid is a sepulchral 
chamber, in which is inclosed the mummy of the high- 
priest, who aided in rearing that stupendous pile ; and 
with him is buried a wondrous book of knowledge con- 
taining all the secrets of magic and art. This book 
was given to Adam after his fall, and was handed 
down from generation to generation to King Solomon 
the wise, and by its aid he built the temple of Jerusa- 
lem. How it came into the possession of the builder 
of the pyramids, is known to him alone who knows all 
things.' 

" When I heard these words of the Egyptian 
priest, my heart burned to get possession of that book. 
I could command the services of many of the soldiers 
of our conquering army, and of a number of the 
native Egyptians: with these I set to work, and 
pierced the solid mass of the pyramid, until, after 
great toil, I came upon one of its interior and hidden 
passages. Following this up, and threading a fearful 
labyrinth, I penetrated into the very heart of the 
pyramid, even to the sepulchral chamber, where the 
mummy of the high-priest had lain for ages. I broke 
through the outer cases of the mummy, unfolded its 
many ^\Tappers and bandages, and at length found 
the precious volume on its bosom. I seized it with a 




%S}. 



f 






LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



J^ 




trembling hand, and groped my way out of the pyra- 
mid, leaving the mummy in its dark and silent sepul- 
chre, there to await the final day of resurrection and 
judgment." 

" Son of Abu Ayub," exclaimed Aben Habuz, 
" thou hast been a great traveller, and seen marvellous 
things; but of what avail to me is the secret of the 
pyramid, and the volume of knowledge of the wise 
Solomon? " 

" This it is, O king! By the study of that book I 
am instnicted in all magic arts, and can command the 
assistance of genii to accomplish my plans. The 
mystery of the Talisman of Borsa is therefore familiar 
to me, and such a talisman can I make; nay, one of 
greater virtues." 

" O wise son of Abu Ayub," cried Aben Habuz, 
" better were such a talisman, than all of the watch- 
towers on the hills, and sentinels upon the borders. 
Give me such a safeguard, and the riches of my treas- 
ury are at thy command." 

The astrologer immediately set to work to grat- 
ify the wishes of the monarch. He caused a great 
tower to be erected upon the top of the royal palace, 
which stood on the brow of the hill of the Albaycin. 
The tower was built of stones brought from Egypt, 
and taken, it is said, from one of the pyramids. In 
the upper part of the tower was a circular hall, with 
windows looking towards every point of the compass. 







THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



and before each window was a table, on which was 
arranged, as on a chess-board, a mimic army of horse 
and foot, with the effigy of the potentate that ruled in 
that direction, all carved of wood. To each of these 
tables there was a small lance, no bigger than a bod- 
kin, on which were engraved certain Chaldaic char- 
acters. This hall was kept constantly closed, by a gate 
of brass, with a great lock of steel, the key of which 
was in possession of the king. 

On the top of the tower was a bronze figure of a 
Moorish horseman, fixed on a pivot, with a shield on 
one arm, and his lance elevated perpendicularly. The 
face of this horseman was towards the city, as if keep- 
ing guard over it; but if any foe were at hand, the 
figure would turn in that direction, and would level 
the lance as if for action. 

When this talisman was finished, Aben Habuz was 
all impatient to try its virtues ; and longed as ardently 
for an invasion as he had ever sighed after repose. 
His desire was soon gratified. Tidings were brought, 
early one morning, by the sentinel appointed to watch 
the tower, that the face of the bronze horseman was 
turned towards the mountains of Elvira, and that his 
lance pointed directly against the Pass of Lope. 

" Let the drums and trumpets sound to arms, and 
all Granada be put on the alert," said Aben Habuz. 

" O king," said the astrologer, " let not your city A i,^,^ 
be disquieted nor your w^arriors called to arms; we i£iilV|[ 









LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




need no aid of force to deliver you from your enemies. 
Dismiss j^our attendants, and let us proceed alone to 
the secret hall of the tower." 

The ancient Aben Habuz mounted the staircase 
of the tower, leaning on the arm of the still more 
ancient Ibrahim Ebn Abu Ayub. They unlocked the 
brazen door and entered. The window that looked 
towards the Pass of Lope was open. " In this direc- 
tion," said the astrologer, " lies the danger; approach, 
O king, and behold the mystery of the table." 

King Aben Habuz approached the seeming chess- 
board, on which were arranged the small wooden effi- 
gies, when, to his surprise, he perceived that they were 
all in motion. The horses pranced and curveted, the 
warriors brandished their weapons, and there was a 
faint sound of drums and trumpets, and the clang of 
arms, and neighing of steeds; but all no louder, nor 
more distinct, than the hum of the bee, or the sum- 

i "•'^./^. "^J^ mer-fly, in the drowsy ear of him w^ho lies at noontide 

X. . in the shade. 

45^ " Behold, O king," said the astrologer, " a proof 
that thy enemies are even now in the field. They must 
be advancing through yonder mountains, by the Pass 
of Lope. Would you produce a panic and confusion 
amongst them, and cause them to retreat without loss 
of life, strike these effigies with the but-end of this 
magic lance; would you cause bloody feud and car- 
nage, strike with the point." 

10 







THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



A livid streak passed across the countenance of 
Aben Habuz; he seized the lance with trembling 
eagerness; his gray beard wagged with exultation as 
he tottered toward the table: " Son of Abu Ayub," 
exclaimed he, in chuckling tone, " I think we will have 
a little blood!" 

So saying, he thrust the magic lance into some of 
the pigmy effigies, and belabored others with the but- 
end, upon which the former fell as dead upon the 
board, and the rest turning upon each other began, 
pell-mell, a chance-medley fight. 

It was v/ith difficulty the astrologer could stay the ^ 
hand of the most pacific of monarchs, and prevent 
him from absolutely exterminating liis foes ; at length 
he prevailed upon him to leave the tower, and to send 
out scouts to the mountains by the Pass of Lope. 

They returned with the intelligence, that a Chris- 
tian army had advanced tlirough the heart of the 
Sierra, almost within sight of Granada, where a dis- 
sension had broken out among them ; they had turned 
their weapons against each other, and after much 
slaughter had retreated over the border. 

Aben Habuz was transported with joy on thus 
proving the efficacy of the talisman. " At length," 
said he, " I shall lead a life of tranquillity, and have 
all my enemies in my power. O wise son of Abu 
AjTib, vrhat can I bestow on thee in reward for such a 
blessing? " 

11 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



iii?i'^s 







^2;.fe 




" The wants of an old man and a philosopher, O 
king, are few and simple ; grant me but the means of 
fitting up my cave as a suitable hermitage, and I am 
content." 

" How noble is the moderation of the truly wise! " 
exclaimed Aben Habuz, secretly pleased at the cheap- 
ness of the recompense. He summoned his treasurer, 
and bade him dispense whatever sums might be re- 
quired by Ibrahim to complete and furnish his 
hermitage. 

The astrologer now gave orders to have various 
chambers hewn out of the solid rock, so as to form 
ranges of apartments connected mth his astrological 
hall; these he caused to be furnished with luxurious 
ottomans and divans, and the walls to be hung with 
the richest silks of Damascus. " I am an old man," 
said he, " and can no longer rest my bones on stone 
couches, and these damp walls require covering." 

He had baths too constructed, and provided with 
all kinds of perfumes and aromatic oils: "For a 
bath," said he, " is necessarj'' to counteract the rigidity 
of age, and to restore freshness and suppleness to the 
frame withered by study." 

He caused the apartments to be hung with in- 
numerable silver and crystal lamps, which he filled 
with a fragrant oil, prepared according to a receipt 
discovered by him in the tombs of Egyf>t. This oil 
was perpetual in its nature, and diffused a soft radi- 

12 









ii«' 






THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



ance like the tempered light of day. " The light of 
the sun," said he, " is too gairish and violent for the 
eyes of an old man, and the light of the lamp is more 
congenial to the studies of a philosopher." 

The treasurer of king Aben Habuz groaned at the 
sums daily demanded to fit up this hermitage, and he 
carried his complaints to the king. The royal word, 
however, had been given; Aben Habuz shrugged his 
shoulders: " We must have patience," said he, " this 
old man has taken his idea of a philosophic retreat 
from the interior of the pyramids, and of the vast 
ruins of Egypt; but all things have an end, and so 
will the furnishing of his cavern." 

The king was in the right; the hermitage was at 
length complete, and formed a sumptuous subterra- 
nean palace. The astrologer expressed himself per- 
fectly content, and, shutting himself up, remained 
for three whole days buried in study. At the end of 
that time he appeared again before the treasurer. 
" One thing more is necessary," said he, " one trifling 
solace for the intervals of mental labor." 

" O wise Ibrahim, I am bound to furnish every 
thing necessary for thy solitude ; what more dost thou 
require? " 

" I would fain have a few dancing women. 



"Dancing women! 
surprise. 

" Dancing women,' 




echoed 

replied the sage, gravely; 

■JufM 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

" and let them be young and fair to look upon; for 
the sight of youth and beauty is refreshing. A few 
will suffice, for I am a philosopher of simple habits 
and easily satisfied." 

While the philosophic Ibrahim Ebn Abu Ayub 
passed his time thus sagely in his hermitage, the pacific 
Aben Habuz carried on furious campaigns in effigy 
in his tower. It was a glorious thing for an old man, 
like himself, of quiet habits, to have war made easy, 
and to be enabled to amuse himself in his chamber by 
brushing away whole armies like so many swarms of 
flies. 

For a time he rioted in the indulgence of his 
humors, and even taunted and insulted his neighbors, 
to induce them to make incursions; but by degrees 
they grew wary from repeated disasters until no one 
ventured to invade his territories. For many months 
the bronze horseman remained on the peace establish- 
^ ^ "^v ment with his lance elevated in the air, and the worthy 
old monarch began to repine at the want of his accus- 
tomed sport, and to grow peevish at his monotonous 
tranquillity. 

At length, one day, the talismanic horseman veered 
suddenly round, and lowering his lance, made a dead 
point towards the mountains of Guadix. Aben 
Habuz hastened to his tower, but the magic table in 
.n^wsj;;^;^,.'^ |.^^ that direction remained quiet; not a single warrior 
' .V;i^ W-^^'Wtt was in motion. Perplexed at the circumstance, he 

it 





^^jM^ 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



sent forth a troop of horse to scour the mountains 
and reconnoitre. They returned after three days' 
absence. 

" We have searched every mountain pass," said 
they, " but not a hehn nor spear was stirring. All 
that we have found in the course of our foray was a 
Christian damsel of surpassing beauty, sleeping at 
noontide beside a fountain, whom we have brought 
away captive." 

"A damsel of surpassing beauty!" exclaimed 
Aben Habuz, his eyes gleaming with animation; " let 
her be conducted into my presence." 

The beautiful damsel was accordingly conducted 
into his presence. She was arrayed with all the luxury 
of ornament that had prevailed among the Gothic 
Spaniards at the time of the Arabian conquest. Pearls 
of dazzling whiteness were entwined with her raven 
tresses; and jewels sparkled on her forehead, rivalling 
the lustre of her eyes. Around her neck was a golden 
chain, to which was suspended a silver lyre, wliich 
hung by her side. 

The flashes of her dark refulgent eyes were like 
sparks of fire on the withered, yet combustible, heart 
of Aben Habuz; the swimming voluptuousness of 
her gait made his senses reel. " Fairest of women," 
cried he, with rapture, " who and what art thou? " 

" The daughter of one of the Gothic princes, who 
but lately ruled over this land. The armies of my 

15 




'^/^^■r::. 



..,-*■ 
.*><»•"" 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




father have been destroyed, as if by magic, among 
these mountains ; he has been driven into exile, and his 
daughter is a captive." 

" Beware, O king! " whispered Ibrahim Ebn Abu 
Ayub, " this may be one of these northern sorceresses 
of whom we have heard, who assume the most seduc- 
tive forms to beguile the unwary. Methinks I read 
witchcraft in her eye, and sorcery in every movement. 
Doubtless this is the enemy pointed out by the talis- 
man." 

" Son of Abu Ayub," replied the king, " thou art 
a wise man, I grant, a conjuror for aught I know; 
but thou art little versed in the ways of woman. In 
that knowledge will I yield to no man; no, not to the 
wise Solomon himself, notwithstanding the number 
of his wives and concubines. As to this damsel, I see 
no harm in her; she is fair to look upon, and finds 
favor in my eyes." 

" Hearken, O king! " replied the astrologer. " I 
have given thee many victories by means of my talis- 
man, but have never shared any of the spoil. Give 
me this stray captive, to solace me in my solitude with 
her silver lyre. If she be indeed a sorceress, I have 
counter spells that set her charms at defiance." 

"What! more women!" cried Aben Habuz. 
" Hast thou not already dancing women enough to 
solace thee? " 

" Dancing women have I, it is true, but no singing 

16 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



women. I would fain have a little minstrelsy to re- 
fresh my mind when weary with the toils of study." 

" A truce with thy hermit cravings," said the king, 
impatiently. " This damsel have I marked for my 
own. I see much comfort in her; even such comfort 
as David, the father of Solomon the wise, found in 
the society of Abishag the Shunamite." 

Further solicitations and remonstrances of the 
astrologer only provoked a more peremptory reply 
from the monarch, and they parted in high displeas- 
ure. The sage shut himself up in his hermitage to 
brood over his disappointment ; ere he departed, how- 
ever, he gave the king one more warning to beware 
of his dangerous captive. But where is the old man 
in love that will listen to counsel. Aben Habuz re- 
signed himself to the full sway of his passion. His 
only study was how to render himself amiable in the 
eyes of the Gothic beauty. He had not youth to 
recommend himi, it is true, but then he had riches ; and 
when a lover is old, he is generally generous. The 
Zacatin of Granada was ransacked for the most 
precious merchandise of the East; silks, jewels, pre- 
cious gems, exquisite perfumes, all that Asia and 
Africa yielded of rich and rare, were lavished upon 
the princess. All kinds of spectacles and festivities 
were devised for her entertainment ; minstrelsy, danc- 
ing, tournaments, bull-fights: — Granada for a time 
was a scene of perpetual pageant. The Gothic prin- 

2 17 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




^fer^jja^^ X 



cess regarded all this splendor with the air of one 
accustomed to magnificence. She received everything 
as a homage due to her rank, or rather to her heauty ; 
for beauty is more lofty in its exactions even than 
rank. Nay, she seemed to take a secret pleasure in 
exciting the monarch to expenses that made his treas- 
ury shrink ; and then treating his extravagant gener- 
ositj'^ as a mere matter of course. With all his assi- 
duity and munificence, also, the venerable lover could 
not flatter himself that he had made any impression 
on her heart. She never frowned on him, it is true, 
but then she never smiled. Whenever he began to 
plead his passion, she struck her silver lyre. There 
was a mystic charm in the sound. In an instant the 
monarch began to nod; a drowsiness stole over him, 
and he gradually sank into a sleep, from which he 
awoke wonderfully refreshed, but perfectly cooled for 
the time of his passion. This was very baffling to his 
"^i/^.^J^ suit; but then these slumbers were accompanied by 
agreeable dreams, which completely inthralled the 
.rTz/tti^r'-V'-*^--*^ senses of the drowsy lover; so he continued to dream 
on, while all Granada scofl*ed at his infatuation, and 
groaned at the treasures lavished for a song. 

At length a danger burst on the head of Aben 
Habuz, against which his talisman yielded him no 
warning. An insurrection broke out in his very capi- 
tal; his palace was surrounded by an armed rabble, 
who menaced his life and the life of his Christian para- 

18 




|M«Vv«^/.» 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



mour. A spark of his ancient warlike spirit was 
awakened in the breast of the monarch. At the head 
of a handful of his guards he sallied forth, put the 
rebels to flight, and crushed the insurrection in the 
bud. 

When quiet was again restored, he sought the 
astrologer, who still remained shut up in his hermit- 
age, chewing the bitter cud of resentment. 

Aben Habuz approached him with a conciliatory- 
tone. " O wise son of Abu Ayub," said he, " well 
didst thou predict dangers to me from this captive 
beauty: tell me then, thou who art so quick at fore- 
seeing peril, what I should do to avert it." 

" Put from thee the infidel damsel who is the 
cause." 

" Sooner would I part with my kingdom," cried 
Aben Habuz. 

" Thou art in danger of losing both," rephed the 
astrologer. 

" Be not harsh and angry, O most profound of 
philosophers; consider the double distress of a mon- 
arch and a lover, and devise some means of protecting 
me from the evils by which I am menaced. I care not 
for grandeur, I care not for power, I languish only 
for repose ; would that I had some quiet retreat where 
I might take refuge from the world, and all its cares, 
and pomps, and troubles, and devote the remainder of 
my days to tranquillity and love." 

19 



/" 



•"^ 




^.^ 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 








The astrologer regarded him for a moment, from 
under his bushy eyebrows. 

" And what wouldst thou give, if I could provide 
thee such a retreat? " 

" Thou shouldst name thy own reward, and what- 
ever it might be, if within the scope of my power, as 
my soul liveth, it should be thine." 

" Thou hast heard, O king, of the garden of Irem, 
one of the prodigies of Arabia the happy." 

" I have heard of that garden; it is recorded in 
the Koran, even in the chapter entitled ' The Dawn of 
Day.' I have, moreover, heard marvellous things 
related of it by pilgrims who had been to Mecca ; but 
I considered them wild fables, such as travellers are 
wont to tell who have visited remote countries." 

" Discredit not, O king, the tales of travellers," 
rejoined the astrologer, gravely, " for they contain 
precious rarities of knowledge brought from the ends 
of the earth. As to the palace and garden of Irem, 
what is generally told of them is true; I have seen 
them with mine own eyes — listen to my adventure ; for 
it has a bearing upon the object of your request. 

" In my younger days, when a mere Arab of the 
desert, I tended my father's camels. In traversing 
the desert of Aden, one of them strayed from the 
rest, and was lost. I searched after it for several days, 
but in vain, until, wearied and faint, I laid myself 
down at noontide, and slept under a palm-tree by the 

20 



,«■♦*"" «/'/ 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



side of a scanty well. When I awoke, I found myself 
at the gate of a city. I entered, and beheld noble 
streets, and squares, and market-places ; but all were 
silent and without an inhabitant. I wandered on until 
I came to a sumptuous palace with a garden adorned 
with fountains and fishponds, and groves and flowers, 
and orchards laden with delicious fruit; but still no 
one was to be seen. Upon which, appalled at this 
loneliness, I hastened to depart; and, after issuing 
forth at the gate of the city, I turned to look upon 
the place, but it was no longer to be seen ; nothing but 
the silent desert extended before my eyes. 

" In the neighborhood I met with an aged dervise, 
learned in the traditions and secrets of the land, and 
related to him what had befallen me. ' This,' said he, 
* is the far-famed garden of Irem, one of the wonders 
of the desert. It only appears at times to some wan- 
derer like thyself, gladdening him with the sight of 
towers and palaces and garden walls overhung with 
richly-laden fruit-trees, and then vanishes, leaving 
nothing but a lonely desert. And this is the story of 
it. In old times, when this country was inhabited by 
the Addites, King Sheddad, the son of Ad, the great- 
grandson of Noah, founded here a splendid city. 
When it was finished, and he saw its grandeur, his 
heart was puffed up with pride and arrogance, and he 
determined to build a royal palace, with gardens which 
should rival all related in the Korean of the celestial 

21 











/:>-'C 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




paradise. But the curse of heaven fell upon him for 
his presumption. He and his subjects were swept 
from the earth, and his splendid city, and palace, and 
gardens, were laid under a perpetual spell, which 
hides them from human sight, excepting that they 
are seen at intervals, by way of keeping his sin in per- 
petual remembrance.' 

" This story, O king, and the wonders I had seen, 
ever dwelt in my mind ; and in after years, when I had 
been in Egypt, and was possessed of the book of 
knowledge of Solomon the wise, I determined to re- 
turn and revisit the garden of Irem. I did so, and 
found it revealed to my instructed sight. I took pos- 
session of the palace of Sheddad, and passed several 
days in his mock paradise. The genii who watch over 
the place were obedient to my magic power, and 
revealed to me the spells by which the whole garden 
had been, as it were, conjured into existence, and by 
which it was rendered invisible. Such a palace and 
garden, O king, can I make for thee, even here, on 
the mountain above thy city. Do I not know all the 
secret spells? and am I not in possession of the book 
of knowledge of Solomon the wise? " 

"O wise son of Abu Ayub!" exclaimed Aben 
Habuz, trembling with eagerness, " thou art a trav- 
eller indeed, and hast seen and learned marvellous 
things! Contrive me such a paradise, and ask any 
reward, even to the half of my kingdom." 

22 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



" Alas! " replied the other, " thou knowest I am an 
old man, and a philosopher, and easily satisfied; all 
the reward I ask is the first beast of burden, with its 
load, which shall enter the magic portal of the palace." 

The monarch gladly agreed to so moderate a stipu- 
lation, and the astrologer began his work. On the 
summit of the hill, immediately above his subterranean 
hermitage, he caused a great gateway or barbican to 
be erected, opening through the centre of a strong 
tower. 

There was an outer vestibule or porch, with a lofty 
arch, and within it a portal secured by massive gates. 
On the key-stone of the portal the astrologer, with his 
own hand, wrought the figure of a huge key ; and on 
the key-stone of the outer arch of the vestibule, which 
was loftier than that of the portal, he carved a gigan- 
tic hand. These were potent tahsmans, over which he 
repeated many sentences in an unknown tongue. 

When this gateway was finished he shut himself up 
for two days in his astrological hall, engaged in secret 
incantations; on the third he ascended the hill, and 
passed the whole day on its summit. At a late hour of 
the night he came down, and presented himself before 
Aben Habuz. " At length, O king," said he, " my 
labor is accomplished. On the summit of the hill stands 
one of the most delectable palaces that ever the head 
of man devised, or the heart of man desired. It con- 
tains sumptuous halls and galleries, dehcious gardens, 



23 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



„«»> 



cool fountains, and fragrant baths; in a word, the 
whole mountain is converted into a paradise. Like 
the garden of Irem, it is protected by a mighty charm, 
which hides it from the view and search of mortals, 
excepting such as possess the secret of its talismans." 

"Enough!" cried Aben Habuz, joyfully, "to- 
morrow morning with the first light we will ascend 
and take possession." The happy monarch slept but 
little that night. Scarcely had the rays of the sun 
begun to play about the snowy summit of the Sierra 
Nevada, when he mounted his steed, and, accompanied 
only by a few chosen attendants, ascended a steep and 
narrow road leading up the hill. Beside him, on a 
white palfrey, rode the Gothic princess, her whole 
dress sparkling with jewels, while around her neck 
was suspended her silver lyre. The astrologer walked 
on the other side of the king, assisting his steps with 
his hieroglyphic staff, for he never mounted steed of 
any kind. 

Aben Habuz looked to see the towers of the palace 
brightening above him, and the imbowered terraces 
of its gardens stretching along the heights ; but as yet 
nothing of the kind was to be descried. " That is the 
mystery and safeguard of the place," said the astrolo- 
ger, " nothing can be discerned until you have passed 
the spell-bound gateway, and been put in possession 
of the place." 

As they approached the gateway, the astrologer 

24 













THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



paused, and pointed out to the king the mystic hand 
and key carved upon the portal of the arch. " These," 
said he, " are the tahsmans which guard the entrance 
to this paradise. Until yonder hand shall reach down 
and seize that key, neither mortal power nor magic 
artifice can prevail against the lord of this mountain." 

While Aben Habuz was gazing, with open mouth 
and silent wonder, at these mystic talismans, the pal- 
frey of the princess proceeded, and bore her in at the 
portal, to the very centre of the barbican. 

" Behold," cried the astrologer, " my promised re- 
ward; the first animal with its burden which should 
enter the magic gateway." 

Aben Habuz smiled at what he considered a pleas- 
antry of the ancient man ; but when he found him to 
be in earnest, his gray beard trembled with indigna- 
tion. 

" Son of Abu Ayub," said he, sternly, " what 
equivocation is this? Thou knowest the meaning of 
my promise: the first beast of burden, with its load, 
that should enter this portal. Take the strongest mule 
in my stables, load it with the most precious things of 
my treasury, and it is thine; but dare not raise thy 
thoughts to her who is the delight of my heart." 

" What need I of wealth," cried the astrologer, 
scornfully; "have I not the book of knowledge of 
Solomon the wise, and through it the command of the 
secret treasures of the earth? The princess is mine 

25 




^>> 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







by right; thy royal word is pledged. I claim her as 
my own." 

The princess looked down haughtily from her pal- 
frey, and a light smile of scorn curled her rosy lip at 
this dispute between two gray-beards, for the posses- 
sion of youth and beauty. The wrath of the monarch 
got the better of his discretion. " Base son of the 
desert," cried he, " thou may'st be master of many 
ai-ts, but know me for tliy master, and presume not to 
juggle with thy king." 

" My master! my king! " echoed the astrologer — 
" The monarch of a mole-hill to claim sway over him 
who possesses the talismans of Solomon! Farewell, 
Aben Habuz ; reign over thy petty kingdom, and revel 
in thy paradise of fools ; for me, I will laugh at thee in 
my philosophic retirement." 

So saying he seized the bridle of the palfrey, smote 

the earth with his staff, and sank with the Gothic 

./^ . VTipT princess through the centre of the barbican. The 

earth closed over them, and no trace remained of the 

■^„it!« .V'^'-V^ opening by which they had descended. 

Aben Habuz was struck dumb for a time with 
astonishment. Recovering himself, he ordered a 
thousand workmen to dig, with pickaxe and spade, 
into the ground where the astrologer had disappeared. 
They digged and digged, but in vain ; the flinty bosom 
of the hill resisted their implements; or if they did 
penetrate a little way, the earth filled in again as fast 

26 




xf^y-f^r*. 



THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 



as they threw it out. Aben Habuz sought the mouth 
of the cavern at the foot of the hill, leading to the 
subterranean palace of the astrologer; but it was 
nowhere to be found. Where once had been an en- 
trance, was now a solid surface of primeval rock. 
With the disappearance of Ibrahim Ebn Abu Ayub 
ceased the benefit of his talismans. The bronze horse- 
man remained fixed, with his face turned toward the 
hill, and his spear pointed to the spot where the astrol- 
oger had descended, as if there still lurked the dead- 
Hest foe of Aben Habu-z. 

From time to time the sound of music> and the ^ ^^ 
tones of a female voice, could be faintly heard from ^^ 
the bosom of the hill ; and a peasant one day brought ^ "^ 
word to the king, that in the preceding night he had 
found a fissure in the rock, by which he had crept in, 
until he looked down into a subterranean hall, in which 
sat the astrologer, on a magnificent divan, slumbering 
and nodding to the silver lyre of the princess, which 
seemed to hold a magic sway over his senses. 

Aben Habuz sought the fissure in the rock, but it 
was again closed. He renewed the attempt to unearth 
his rival, but all in vain. The spell of the hand and 
key was too potent to be counteracted by human 
power. As to the summit of the mountain, the site of 
the promised palace and garden, it remained a naked 
waste; either the boasted elysium was hidden from 
sight by enchantment, or was a mere fable of the 

27 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




^ 









astrologer. The world charitably supposed the latter, 
and some used to call the place " The King's Folly; " 
while others named it " The Fool's Paradise." 

To add to the chagrin of Aben Habuz, the neigh- 
bors whom he had defied and taunted, and cut up at 
his leisure while master of the talismanic horseman, 
finding him no longer protected by magic spell, made 
inroads into his territories from all sides, and the re- 
mainder of the life of the most pacific of monarchs 
was a tissue of turmoils. 

At length Aben Habuz died, and was buried. 
Ages have since rolled away. The Alhambra has been 
built on the eventful mountain, and in some measure 
realizes the fabled delights of the garden of Irem. 
The spell-bound gateway still exists entire, protected 
no doubt by the mystic hand and key, and now forms 
the Gate of Justice, the grand entrance to the fortress. 
Under that gateway, it is said, the old astrologer re- 
mains in his subterranean hall, nodding on his divan, 
lulled by the silver lyre of the princess. 

The old invalid sentinels who mount guard at the 
gate hear the strains occasionally in the summer 
nights; and, yielding to their soporific power, doze 
quietly at their posts. Nay, so drowsy an influence 
pervades the place, that even those who watch by day 
may generally be seen nodding on the stone benches 
of the barbican, or sleeping under the neighboring 
trees ; so that in fact it is the drowsiest military post 




THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER 

in all Christendom. All this, say the ancient legends, 
will endure from age to age. The princess will remain 
captive to the astrologer; and the astrologer, bound 
up in magic slumber by the princess, until the last 
day, unless the mystic hand shall grasp the fated key, 
and dispel the whole charm of this enchanted 
mountain. 



NOTE TO THE ARABIAN ASTROLOGER. 

Al Makkari^ in his history of the Mahommedan Dynasties in 
Spain, cites from another Arabian writer an account of a talis- 
manic effigy somewhat similar to the one in the foregoing legend. 

In Cadiz, says he, there formerly stood a square tower 
upwards of one hundred cubits high, built of huge blocks of 
stone, fastened together with clamps of brass. On the top was 
the figure of a man, holding a staff in his right hand, his face 
turned to the Atlantic, and pointing with the forefinger of his 
left hand to the Straits of Gibraltar. It was said to have been 
set up in ancient times by the Gothic kings of Andalus, as a 
beacon or guide to navigators. The Moslems of Barbary and 
Andalus considered it a talisman which exercised a spell over 
the seas. Under its guidance, swarms of piratical people of a 
nation called Majus, appeared on the coast in large vessels with 
a square sail in the bow, and another in the stern. They came 
every six or seven years; captured everything they met with on 
the sea; guided by the statue, they passed through the Straits 
into the Mediterranean, landed on the coasts of Andalus, laid 
everything waste with fire and sword; and sometimes carried 
their depredations on the opposite coast even as far as Syria. 

At length, it came to pass in the time of the civil wars, a 
Moslem admiral who had taken possession of Cadiz, hearing that 

29 








'■■^^^^^* 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

the statue on top of the tower was of pure gold, had it lowered 
to the ground and broken to pieces; when it proved to be of 
gilded brass. With the destruction of the idol, the spell over 
the sea was at an end. From that time forward, nothing more 
was seen of the piratical people of the ocean, exce)j|^ing that 
two of their barks were wrecked on the coast, one at Marsu-1- 
Majus (the port of the Majus), the other close to the promon- 
tory of Al-Aghan. 

The maritime invaders above mentioned by Al Makkari must 
have been the Northmen. 







LEGEND OF PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 
OR THE PILGRIM OF LOVE 







LEGEND OF 
PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 

OR THE PILGRIM OF LOVE 

There was once a Moorish king of Granada, who 
had but one son, whom he named Ahmed, to which his 
courtiers added the surname of al Kamel, or the per- 
fect, from the indubitable signs of superexcellence 
which they perceived in him in his very infancy. The 
astrologers countenanced them in their foresight, pre- 
dicting everything in his favor that could make a 
perfect prince and a prosperous sovereign. One cloud 
only rested upon his destiny, and even that was of a 
roseate hue ; he would be of an amorous temperameurt, 
and run great perils from the tender passion. If, 
however, he could be kept from the allurements of 
love until of mature age, these dangers would be 
averted, and his life thereafter be one uninterrupted 
course of felicity. 

To prevent all danger of the kind, the king wisely 
determined to rear the prince in a seclusion where he 
should never see a female face, nor hear even the name 
of love. For this purpose he built a beautiful palace 
on the brow of the hill above the Alhambra, in the 



midst of delightful gardens, but surrounded by lofty ISi 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




walls, being, in fact, the same palace known at the 
present day by the name of the Generalife. In this 
palace the youthful prince was shut up, and intrusted 
to the guardianship and instruction of Eben Bonab- 
ben, one of the wisest and dryest of Arabian sages, 
who had passed the greatest part of his life in Egypt, 
studying hieroglyphics, and making researches among 
the tombs and pyramids, and who saw more charms in 
an Egyptian mummy than in the most tempting of 
living beauties. The sage was ordered to instruct the 
prince in all kinds of knowledge but one — he was to 
be kept utterly ignorant of love. " Use every precau- 
Wkd? -^ ^^^^ ^^^ *^^ purpose you may think proper," said the 
king, " but remember, O Eben Bonabben, if my son 
learns aught of that forbidden knowledge while under 
your care, your head shall answer for it." A withered 
smile came over the dry visage of the wise Bonabben 
at the menace. " Let your majesty's heart be as easy 
i '^./^.^i^^ about your son, as mine is about my head: am I a man 
X. likely to give lessons in the idle passion? " 

* *!,,'. V^Vij^ Under the vigilant care of the philosopher, the 
prince grew up, in the seclusion of the palace and its 
gardens. He had black slaves to attend upon him — 
hideous mutes who knew nothing of love, or if they 
did, had not words to communicate it. His mental 
endowments were the peculiar care of Eben Bonab- 
ben, who sought to initiate him into the abstruse lore 
of Egypt; but in this the prince made little progress,. 

34 




.»> »/<»« 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



and it was soon evident that he had no turn for phi- 
losophy. 

He was, however, amazingly ductile for a youthful 
prince, ready to follow any advice, and always guided 
by the last counsellor. He suppressed his yawns, and 
listened patiently to the long and learned discourses of 
Eben Bonabben, from which he imbibed a smattering 
of various kinds of knowledge, and thus happily at- 
tained his twentieth year, a miracle of princely wisdom 
— but totally ignorant of love. 

About this time, however, a change came over the 
conduct of the prince. He completely abandoned his 
studies, and took to strolling about the gardens, and 
musing by the side of the fountains. He had been 
taught a little music among his various accomplish- 
ments ; it now engrossed a great part of his time, and 
a turn for poetry became apparent. The sage Eben 
Bonabben took the alarm, and endeavored to work 
these idle humors out of him by a severe course of 
algebra; but the prince turned from it with distaste. 
" I cannot endure algebra," said he; " it is an abomi- 



> 



/" 



'N 



nation to me. 
the heart." 



I want sometliing that speaks more to 



s\ 



The sage Eben Bonabben shook his dry head at \?m - 



MJ-J-^^J-t. ) 



the words. " Here is an end to philosophy," thought 
he. *' The prince has discovered he has a heart! " He 
now kept anxious watch upon his pupil, and saw that 
the latent tenderness of his nature was in activity, and 



-J 5 t /-> 



35 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







only wanted an object. He wandered about the gar- 
dens of the Generalife in an intoxication of feelings 
of which he knew not the cause. Sometimes he would 
sit plunged in a delicious reverie; then he would seize 
his lute, and draw from it the most touching notes, 
and then throw it aside, and break forth into sighs and 
ejaculations. 

By degrees this loving disposition began to extend 
to inanimate objects; he had his favorite flowers, which 
he cherished with tender assiduity; then he became 
attached to various trees, and there was one in particu- 
lar, of a graceful form and drooping foliage, on which 
he lavished his amorous devotion, carving his name on 
its bark, hanging garlands on its branches, and sing- 
ing couplets in its praise, to the accompaniment of his 
lute. 

Eben Bonabben was alarmed at this excited state 
of his pupil. He saw him on the very brink of for- 
bidden knowledge — the least hint might reveal to him 
the fatal secret. Trembling for the safety of the 
prince and the security of his own head, he hastened 
to draw him from the seductions of the garden, and 
shut him up in the highest tower of the Generalife. It 
contained beautiful apartments, and commanded an 
almost boundless prospect, but was elevated far above 
that atmosphere of sweets and those witching bowers 
so dangerous to the feelings of the too susceptible 
Ahmed. 

36 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



What was to be done, however, to reconcile him to 
this restraint and to beguile the tedious hours? He 
had exhausted almost all kinds of agreeable knowl- 
edge; and algebra was not to be mentioned. Fortu- 
nately Eben Bonabben had been instructed, when in 
Egypt, in the language of birds, by a Jewish Rabbin, 
who had received it in lineal transmission from Solo- 
mon the wise, who had been taught it by the queen of 
Sheba. At the very mention of such a study, the eyes 
of the prince sparkled with animation, and he applied 
himself to it with such avidity, that he soon became 
as great an adept as his master. 

The tower of the Generalife was no longer a soli- 
tude ; he had companions at hand with whom he could 
converse. The first acquaintance he formed was with 
a hawk, who built his nest in a crevice of the lofty 
battlements, whence he soared far and wide in quest 
of prey. The prince, however, found little to like or 
esteem in him. He was a mere pirate of the air, swag- 
gering and boastful, whose talk was all about rapine 
and carnage, and desperate exploits. 

His next acquaintance was an owl, a mighty wise 
looking bird, with a huge head and staring eyes, who 
sat blinking and goggling all day in a hole in the 
wall, but roamed forth at night. He had great pre- 
tensions to wisdom, talked something of astrology 
and the moon, and hinted at the dark sciences ; he was 
grievously given to metaphysics, and the prince found 

37 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




his prosings even more ponderous than those of the 
sage Eben Bonabben. 

Then there was a bat, that hung all day by his heels 
in the dark corner of a vault, but sallied out in slipshod 
style at twilight. He, however, had but twilight ideas 
on all subjects, derided things of which he had taken 
but an imperfect view, and seemed to take delight in 
nothing. 

Besides these there was a swallow, with whom the 
prince was at first much taken. He was a smart 
talker, but restless, bustling, and forever on the wing ; 
seldom remaining long enough for any continued con- 
versation. He turned out in the end to be a mere 
smatterer, who did but skim over the surface of things, 
pretending to know everything, but knowing nothing 
thoroughly. 

These were the only feathered associates with 
whom the prince had any opportunity of exercising 
his newly acquired language ; the tower was too high 
for any other birds to frequent it. He soon grew 
weary of his new acquaintances, whose conversation 
spoke so little to the head, and nothing to the heart; 
and gradually relapsed into his loneliness. A winter 
passed away, spring opened with all its bloom and 
verdure and breathing sweetness, and the happy time 
arrived for birds to pair and build their nests. Sud- 
denly, as it were, a universal burst of song and melody 
broke forth from the groves and gardens of the Gen- 



38 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



eralife, and reached the prince in the solitude of his 
tower. From every side he heard the same universal 
theme — love — love — love — chanted forth, and re- 
sponded to in every variety of note and tone. The 
prince listened in silence and perplexity. " What can 
be this love," thought he, " of which the world seems 
so full, and of which I know nothing? " He applied 
for information to his friend the hawk. The ruffian 
bird answered in a tone of scorn: " You must apply," 
said he, " to the vulgar peaceable birds of earth, who 
are made for the prey of us princes of the air. My 
trade is war, and fighting my delight. I am a warrior, 
and know nothing of this thing called love." 

The prince turned from him with disgust, and 
sought the owl in his retreat. " This is a bird," said 
he, " of peaceful habits, and may be able to solve my 
question." So he asked the owl to tell him what was 
this love about which all the birds in the groves below 
were singing. 

Upon this, the owl put on a look of offended dig- 
nity. " My nights," said he, " are taken uj) in study 
and research, and my days in ruminating in my cell 
upon all that I have learnt. As to these singing birds 
of whom you talk, I never listen to them — I despise 
them and their themes. Allah be praised, I cannot 
sing; I am a philosopher, and know nothing of this 
thing called love." 

The prince now repaired to the vault, where his 

39 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



„%^ 




friend the bat was hanging bj^ the heels, and pro- 
pounded the same question. The bat wrinkled up his 
nose into a most snappish expression. " Why do you 
disturb me in my morning's nap with such an idle 
question? " said he, peevishly. " I only fly by twi- 
light, when all birds are asleep, and never trouble 
myself with their concerns. I am neither bird nor 
beast, and I thank heaven for it. I have found out 
the villany of the whole of them, and hate them one 
and all. In a word, I am a misanthrope — and know 
nothing of this thing called love." 

As a last resort, the prince now sought the swallow, 
and stopped him just as he was circling about the 
summit of the tower. The swallow, as usual, was in 
a prodigious hurry, and had scarce time to make a 
reply. " Upon my word," said he, "I have so much 
public business to attend to, and so many pursuits to 
follow, that I have had no time to think on the subject. 
I have every day a thousand visits to pay ; a thousand 
affairs of importance to examine into, that leave me 
not a moment of leisure for these little sing-song 
matters. In a word, I am a citizen of the world — I 
know nothing of this thing called love." So saying, 
the swallow dived into the valley, and was out of sight 
in a moment. 

The prince remained disappointed and perplexed, 
but with his curiosity still more piqued by the difficulty 
of gratifying it. While in this mood, his ancient 




P» 



'¥ 



'///'^=^^. ~ 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



guardian entered the tower. The prince advanced 
eagerly to meet him. " O, Eben Bonabben," cried he, 
" thou hast revealed to me much of the wisdom of the 
earth ; but there is one thing of which I remain in utter 
ignorance, and would fain be informed." 

"My prince has but to make the inquiry, and 
everything within the limited range of his servant's 
intellect is at his command." 

" Tell me, then, O most profound of sages, what is 
the nature of this thing called love? " 

Eben Bonabben was struck as with a thunderbolt. 
He trembled and turned pale, and felt as if his head 
sat but loosely on his shoulders. 

" What could suggest such a question to my prince 
— ^where could he have learnt so idle a word? " 

The prince led him to the window of the tower. 
"Listen, O Eben Bonabben," said he. The sage 
listened. The nightingale sat in a thicket below the 
tower, singing to his paramour the rose ; from every 
blossomed spray and tufted grove rose a strain of 
melody; and love — love — love — was still the unvary- 
ing strain. 

" Allah Akbar! God is great! " exclaimed the wise 
Bonabben. " Who shall pretend to keep this secret 
from the heart of man, when even the birds of the 
air conspire to betray it? " 

Then turning to Ahmed — " O my prince," cried 
he, " shut thine ears to these seductive strains. Close 

41 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







■ "^^fMi 



n 
i 






thy mind against this dangerous knowledge. Know 
that this love is the cause of half the ills of wi'etched 
mortality. It is this which produces bitterness and 
strife between brethren and friends; which causes 
treacherous murder and desolating war. Care and 
sorrow, weary days and sleepless nights, are its attend- 
ants. It withers the bloom and blights the joys of 
youth, and brings on the ills and griefs of j)remature 
old age. Allah preserve thee, my prince, in total 
ignorance of this thing called love I " 

The sage Eben Bonabben hastily retired, leaving 
the prince plunged in still deeper perplexity. It was 
in vain he attempted to dismiss the subject from his 
mind; it still continued uppermost in his thoughts, 
and teased and exhausted him with vain conjectures. 
Surely, said he to himself, as he listened to the tuneful 
strains of the birds, there is no sorrow in these notes ; 
everything seems tenderness and joy. If love be a 
cause of such wretchedness and strife, why are not 
these birds drooping in solitude, or tearing each 
other in pieces, instead of fluttering cheerfully 
about the groves, or sporting with each other among 
flowers ? 

He lay one morning on his couch meditating on 
this inexplicable matter. The window of his chamber 
was open to admit the soft morning breeze, which 
came laden with the perfume of orange blossoms from 
the valley of the Darro. The voice of the nightingale 

42 









TO, 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



was faintly heard, still chanting the wonted theme. 
As the prince was listening and sighing, there was a 
sudden rushing noise in the air ; a beautiful dove, jDur- 
sued by a hawk, darted in at the window, and fell 
panting on the floor ; while the pursuer, balked of his 
prey, soared off to the mountains. 

The prince took up the gasping bird, smoothed its 
feathers, and nestled it in his bosom. When he had 
soothed it by his caresses, he put it in a golden cage, 
and offered it, with his own hands, the whitest and 
finest of wheat and the purest of water. The bird, 
however, refused food, and sat drooping and pining, 
and uttering piteous moans. 

" What aileth thee? " said Ahmed. " Hast thou 
not everything thy heart can wish? " 

"Alas, no!" replied the dove; "am I not sepa- 
rated from the partner of my heart, and that too in 
the happy spring-time, the very season of love ! " 

"Of love!" echoed AJimed; "I pray thee, my 
pretty bird, canst thou then tell me what is love? " 

" Too well can I, my prince. It is the torment of 
one, the felicity of two, the strife and enmity of three. 
It is a charm which draws two beings together, and 
unites them bj^ delicious sympathies, making it happi- 
ness to be with each other, but misery to be apart. Is 
there no being to whom you are drawn by these ties 
of tender affection? " 

" I like my old teacher Eben Bonabben better than 

43 



^^^fi 












LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

any other being; but he is often tedious, and I occa- 
sionally feel myself happier without his society." 

" That is not the sympathy I mean. I speak of 
love, the great mystery and principle of life: the in- 
toxicating revel of youth; the sober delight of age. 
Look forth, my prince, and behold how at this blest 
season all nature is full of love. Every created being 
has its mate; the most insignificant bird sings to its 
paramour ; the very beetle wooes its lady-beetle in the 
dust, and yon butterflies which you see fluttering high 
above the tower, and toying in the air, are happy in 
each other's loves. Alas, my prince! hast thou spent 
so many of the precious days of youth without know- 
ing anything of love? Is there no gentle being of 
another sex — no beautiful princess nor lovely damsel 
who has ensnared your heart, and filled your bosom 
with a soft tumult of pleasing pains and tender 
wishes ? " 

" I begin to understand," said the prince, sighing; 
" such a tumult I have more than once experienced, 
without knowing the cause; and where should I seek 
for an object such as you describe, in this dismal 
solitude?" 
/^r A little further conversation ensued, and the first 

|i^"''^^L_j ^p^^ amatory lesson of the prince was complete. 
pf^''^\t,L^ ^ " Alas ! " said he, " if love be indeed such a dehght, 
ssj^i^ ^'5^^-- ^^d ^^^ interruption such a misery, Allah forbid that 
:^l ^•r.~"'V^jS I should mar the joy of any of its votaries." He 

u 



r^ 



/ 



/.' 



./>' . 






* h^l " 



/m 





Co, liAPi'X WJKD. aAlD HE 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



opened the cage, took out the dove, and having fondly 
kissed it, carried it to the window. " Go, happy bird," 
said he, " rejoice with the partner of thy heart in the 
days of youth and spring-time. Why should I make 
thee a fellow-prisoner in this dreary tower, where love 
can never enter? " 

The dove flapped its wings in rapture, gave one 
vault into the air, and then swooped downward on 
whistHng wings to the blooming bowers of the Darro. 

The prince followed him with his eyes, and then 
gave way to bitter repining. The singing of the birds 
which once delighted him, now added to Ms bitterness. 
Love! love! love! Alas, poor youth! he now under- 
stood the strain. 

His eye flashed fire when next he beheld the sage 
Bonabben. " Why hast thou kept me in this abject 
ignorance? " cried he. " Why has the great mystery 
and principle of life been withheld from me, in which 
I find the meanest insect is so learned? Behold all 
nature is in a revel of delight. Every created being 
rejoices with its mate. This — this is love about which 
I have sought instruction. Why am I alone debarred 
its enjoyment? "WTiy has so much of my youth been 
wasted without a knowledge of its raptures? " 

The sage Bonabben saw that all further reserve 
was useless ; for the prince had acquired the dangerous 
and forbidden knowledge. He revealed to him, there- 
fore, the predictions of the astrologers, and the pre- 

45 



*»-^i' 




.♦!'»»• 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




cautions that had been taken in his education to avert 
the threatened evils. " And now, my prince," added 
he, " my Hfe is in your hands. Let the king your 
father discover that you have learned the passion of 
love while under my guardianship, and my head must 
answer for it." 

The prince was as reasonable as most young men 
of his age, and easily listened to the remonstrances of 
his tutor, since nothing pleaded against them. Be- 
sides, he really was attached to Eben Bonabben, and 
being as yet but theoretically acquainted with the pas- 
sion of love, he consented to confine the knowledge of 
it to his own bosom, rather than endanger the head of 
the philosopher. 

His discretion was doomed, however, to be put to 
still further proofs. A few mornings afterwards, as 
he was ruminating on the battlements of the tower, 
the dove which had been released by him came hover- 
ing in the air, and alighted fearlessly upon his 
shoulder. 

The prince fondled it to his heart. " Happy 
bird," said he, " who can fly, as it were, with the wings 
of the morning to the uttermost parts of the earth. 
Where hast thou been since we parted? " 

" In a far country, my prince, whence I bring you 
tidings in reward for my liberty. In the wild compass 
of my flight, which extends over plain and mountain, 
as I was soaring in the air, I beheld below me a de- 

46 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



lightful garden with all kinds of fruits and flowers. 
It was in a green meadow, on the banks of a wander- 
ing stream; and in the centre of the garden was a 
stately palace. I alighted in one of the bowers to 
repose after my weary flight. On the green bank 
below me was a youthful princess, in the very sweet- 
ness and bloom of her years. She was surrounded by 
female attendants, young like herself, who decked her 
wdth garlands and coronets of flowers ; but no flower 
of field or garden could compare with her for loveli- 
ness. Here, however, she bloomed in secret, for the 
garden was surrounded by high walls, and no mortal 
man was permitted to enter. When I beheld this 
beauteous maid, thus young and innocent and un- 
spotted by the world, I thought, here is the being 
formed by heaven to inspire my prince with love." 

The description was a spark of fire to the com- 
bustible heart of Alimed; all the latent amorousness 
of his temperament had at once found an object, and 
he conceived an immeasurable passion for the princess. 
He wrote a letter, couched in the most impassioned 
language, breathing his fervent devotion, but bewail- 
ing the unhappy thraldom of his person, which pre- 
vented him from seeking her out and throwing himself 
at her feet. He added couplets of the most tender 
and moving eloquence, for he was a poet by nature, 
and inspired by love. He addressed his letter — " To 
the unknown beauty, from the captive Prince 

47 



>. 



/^ 



-> 





»>- ^ 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Ahmed; " then perfuming it with musk and roses, he 
gave it to the dove. 

" Away, trustiest of messengers ! " said he. " Fly 
over mountain and valley, and river, and plain; rest 
not in bower, nor set foot on earth, until thou hast 
given this letter to the mistress of my heart." 

The dove soared high in the air, and taking his 
course darted away in one undeviating direction. The 
prince followed him with his eye until he was a mere 
speck on a cloud, and gradually disappeared behind a 
mountain. 

Day after day he watched for the return of the 
messenger of love, but he watched in vain. He began 
to accuse him of forgetfulness, when towards sunset 
one evening the faithful bird fluttered into his apart- 
ment, and falling at his feet expired. The arrow of 
some wanton archer had pierced his breast, yet he had 
struggled with the lingerings of life to execute his 
mission. As the prince bent with grief over this 
gentle martyr to fidelity, he beheld a chain of pearls 
round his neck, attached to which, beneath his wing, 
was a small enamelled picture. It represented a 
lovely princess in the very flower of her years. It was 
doubtless the unknown beauty of the garden ; but who 
and where was she — how had she received his letter, 
and was this picture sent as a token of her approval 
of his passion ? Unfortunately the death of the faith- 
ful dove left everything in mystery and doubt. 

48 






PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



The prince gazed on the picture till his eyes swam 
with tears. He pressed it to his lips and to his heart ; 
he sat for hours contemplating it almost in an agony 
of tenderness. "Beautiful image!" said he, "alas, 
thou art but an image ! Yet thy dewy eyes beam ten- 
derly upon me; those rosy lips look as though they 
would speak encouragement: vain fancies! Have 
they not looked the same on some more happy rival? 
But where in this wide world shall I hope to find the 
original? Who knows what mountains, what realms 
may separate us; what adverse chances may intervene? 
Perhaps now, even now, lovers may be crowding 
around her, while I sit here a prisoner in a tower, 
wasting my time in adoration of a painted shadow." 

The resolution of Prince Ahmed was taken. " I 
will fly from this palace," said he, " which has become 
an odious prison ; and, a pilgrim of love, will seek this 
unknown princess throughout the world." To escape 
from the tower in the day, when every one was awake, 
might be a difficult matter; but at night the palace 
was slightly guarded; for no one apprehended any 
attempt of the kind from the prince, who had always 
been so passive in his captivity. How was he to guide 
himself, hoAvever, in his darkling flight, being ignorant 
of the country? He bethought him of the owl, who 
was accustomed to roam at night, and must loiow 
every by-lane and secret pass. Seeking him in his 
hermitage, he questioned him touching his knowledge 






49 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




of the land. Upon this the owl put on a mighty self- 
important look. " You must know, O prince," said 
he, " that we owls are of a very ancient and extensive 
family, though rather fallen to decay, and possess 
ruinous castles and palaces in all parts of Spain. 
There is scarcely a tower of the mountains, or a for- 
tress of the plains, or an old citadel of a city, but has 
some brother or uncle, or cousin, quartered in it ; and 
in going the rounds to visit this my numerous kindred, 
I have pryed into every nook and corner, and made 
myself acquainted with every secret of the land." 

The prince was overjoyed to find the owl so deeply 
versed in topography, and now informed him, in con- 
fidence, of his tender passion and his intended elope- 
ment, urging him to be his companion and counsellor. 

" Go to! " said the owl, with a look of displeas- 
ure ; " am I a bird to engage in a love affair? I whose 
whole time is devoted to meditation and the moon? " 

" Be not offended, most solemn owl," replied the 
prince; " abstract thyself for a time from meditation 
and the moon, and aid me in my flight, and thou shalt 
have whatever heart can wish." 

" I have that already," said the owl: " a few mice 
are sufficient for my frugal table, and this hole in the 
wall is spacious enough for my studies ; and what more 
does a philosopher like myself desire? " 

" Bethink thee, most wise owl, that while moping 
in thy cell and gazing at the moon, all thy talents are 



50 



h-^ 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



lost to the world. I shall one day be a sovereign 
prince, and may advance thee to some j)Ost of honor 
and dignity." 

The owl, though a philosopher and above the ordi- 
nary wants of life, was not above ambition; so he was 
finally prevailed on to elope with the prince, and be 
his guide and mentor in his pilgrimage. 

The plans of a lover are promptly executed. The 
prince collected all his jewels, and concealed them 
about his person as travelling funds. That very night 
he lowered himself by his scarf from a balcony of the 
tower, clambered over the outer w^alls of the Gener- 
alife, and, guided by the owl, made good his escape 
before morning to the mountains. 

He now held a council with his mentor as to his 
future course. 

" Might I advise," said the owl, " I would recom- 
mend you to repair to Seville. You must know that 
many years since I was on a visit to an uncle, an owl 
of great dignity and power, who Hved in a ruined 
wing of the Alcazar of that place. In my hoverings 
at night over the city I frequently remarked a light 
burning in a lonely tower. At length I alighted on 
the battlements, and found it to proceed from the 
lamp of an Arabian magician : he was surrounded by 
his magic books, and on his shoulder was perched his 
familiar, an ancient raven who had come with him 
from Egypt. I am acquainted with that raven, and 

51 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



owe to him a great part of the knowledge I possess. 
The magician is since dead, but the raven still inhabits 
the tower, for these birds are of wonderful long life. 
I would advise you, O prince, to seek that raven, for 
he is a soothsayer and a conjurer, and deals in the 
black art, for which all ravens, and especially those of 
Egypt, are renowned." 

The prince was struck with the wisdom of this 
advice, and accordingly bent his course towards 
Seville. He travelled only in the night, to accommo- 
date his companion, and lay by during the day in 
some dark cavern or mouldering watchtower, for the 
owl knew every hiding hole of the Idnd, and had a 
most antiquarian taste for ruins. 

At length one morning at daybreak they reached 
the city of Seville, where the owl, who hated the glare 
and bustle of crowded streets, halted without the 
gate, and took up his quarters in a hollow tree. 

The prince entered the gate, and readily found 
the magic tower, which rose above the houses of the 
city, as a palm-tree rises above the shrubs of the 
desert; it was in fact the same tower standing at the 
present day, and known as the Giralda, the famous 
Moorish tower of Seville. 

The prince ascended by a great winding staircase 
'c.r to the summit of the tower, where he found the caba- 
listic raven, an old, mysterious, gray-headed bird, 
'^"-^ ragged in feather, with a film over one eye that gave 




PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



him the glare of a spectre. He was perched on one 
leg, with his head turned on one side, poring with his 
remaining eye on a diagram described on the pave- 
ment. 

The prince approached him with the awe and rev- 
erence naturally inspired by his venerable appearance 
and supernatural wisdom. " Pardon me, most ancient 
and darkly wise raven," exclaimed he, *' if for a 
moment I interrupt those studies which are the wonder 
of the world. You behold before you a votary of 
love, who would fain seek your counsel how to obtain 
the object of his passion." 

" In other words," said the raven, with a signifi- 
cant look, " you seek to try my skill in palmistry. 
Come, show me your hand, and let me decipher the 
mysterious lines of fortune." 

" Excuse me," said the prince, " I come not to pry 
into the decrees of fate, which are hidden by Allah 
from the eyes of mortals ; I am a pilgrim of love, and 
seek but to find a clue to the object of my pilgrimage." 

" And can you be at any loss for an object in 
amorous Andalusia? " said the old raven, leering upon 
him with single eye; " above all, can you be at a loss 
in wanton Seville, where black-eyed damsels dance 
the zambra under every orange grove? " 

The prince blushed, and was somewhat shocked at 
hearing an old bird with one foot in the grave talk 
thus loosely. " Believe me," said he, gravely, " I am 

53 




«|!v»*v- 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




^Xf/0'r^ \ 



on none such light and vagrant errand as thou dost 
insinuate. The black-eyed damsels of Andalusia who 
dance among the orange groves of the Guadalquivir 
are as naught to me. I seek one unknown but im- 
maculate beauty, the original of this picture; and I 
beseech thee, most potent raven, if it be within the 
scope of thy knowledge or the reach of thy art, inform 
me where she may be found." 

The gray-headed raven was rebuked by the grav- 
ity of the prince. 

" What know I," repHed he, dryly, " of youth and 

beauty? My visits are to the old and withered, not 

^^W^ 2-. the fresh and fair : the harbinger of fate am I ; who 

~^ croak bodings of death from the chimney top, and 

flap my wings at the sick man's window. You must 

seek elsewhere for tidings of your unknown beauty." 

" And where can I seek if not among the sons of 

wisdom, versed in the book of destiny? Know that I 

I *"^i/^.^;^^ am a royal prince, fated by the stars, and sent on a 

X mysterious enterprise on which may hang the destiny 

%^^'^"fJi^^ol empires. 

"^"'^ When the raven heard that it was a matter of vast 

moment, in which the stars took interest, he changed 
his tone and manner, and listened with profound at- 
tention to the story of the prince. When it was con- 
cluded, he replied, " Touching this princess, I can 
give thee no information of myself, for my flight is 
not among gardens, or around ladies' bowers ; but hie 

54 













PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



thee to Cordova, seek the palm-tree of the great 
Abderahman, which stands in the court of the princi- 
pal mosque: at the foot of it thou wilt find a great 
traveller who has visited all countries and courts, and 
been a favorite with queens and princesses. He will 
give thee tidings of the object of thy search." 

" Man}^ thanks for this precious information," 
said the prince. *' Farewell, most venerable con- 
jurer." 

" Farewell, pilgrim of love," said the raven, dryly, 
and again fell to pondering on the diagram. 

The prince sallied forth from Seville, sought his 
fellow-traveller the owl, who was still dozing in the 
hollow tree, and set off for Cordova. 

He approached it along hanging gardens, and 
orange and citron groves, overlooking the fair valley 
of the Guadalquivir. When arrived at its gates the 
owl flew up to a dark hole in the wall, and the prince 
proceeded in quest of the palm-tree planted in days 
of yore by the great Abderahman. It stood in the 
midst of the great court of the mosque, towering from 
amidst orange and cypress trees. Dervises and 
Faquirs were seated in groups under the cloisters of 
the court, and many of the faithful were performing 
their ablutions at the fountains before entering the 
mosque. 

At the foot of the palm-tree was a crowd listening 
to the words of one who appeared to be talking with 

55 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




^it^^ 












great volubility. " This," said the prince to himself, 
" must be the great traveller who is to give me tidings 
of the unknown princess." He mingled in the crowds 
but was astonished to perceive that they were all lis- 
tening to a parrot, who with his bright green coat, 
pragmatical eye, and consequential top -knot, had the 
air of a bird on excellent terms with himself. 

" How is this," said the prince to one of the by- 
standers, " that so many grave persons can be de- 
lighted with the garrulity of a chattering bird? " 

" You know not whom you speak of," said the 
other ; " this parrot is a descendant of the famous 
parrot of Persia, renowned for his story -telling talent. 
He has all the learning of the East at the tip of his 
tongue, and can quote poetry as fast as he can talk. 
He has visited various foreign courts, where he has 
been considered an oracle of erudition. He has been 
a universal favorite also with the fair sex, who have 
a vast admiration for erudite parrots that can quote 
poetry." 

*' Enough," said the prince, " I will have some 
private talk with this distinguished traveller." 

He sought a private interview, and expounded 
the nature of his errand. He had scarcely mentioned 
it when the parrot burst into a fit of dry rickety laugh- 
ter that absolutely brought tears in his eyes. " Ex- 
cuse my merriment," said he, " but the mere mention 
of love always sets me laughing." 







PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



The prince was shocked at this ill-timed mirth. 
" Is not love," said he, " the great mystery of nature, 
the secret principle of life, the universal bond of 
sympathy? '* 

" A fig's end! " cried the parrot, interrupting him; 
" prithee where hast thou learned this sentimental 
jargon? trust me, love is quite out of vogue; one 
never hears of it in the company of wits and people of 
refinement." 

The prince sighed as he recalled the different lan- 
guage of his friend the dove. But this parrot, thought 
he, has lived about the court, he affects the wit and 
fine gentleman, he knows nothing of the thing called 
love. Unwilling to provoke any more ridicule of the 
sentiment which filled his heart, he now directed his 
inquiries to the immediate purport of his visit. 

" Tell me," said he, " most accomplished parrot, 
thou who hast everywhere been admitted to the most 
secret bowers of beauty, hast thou in the course of 
thy travels met with the original of this portrait? " 

The parrot took the picture in his claw, turned his 
head from side to side, and examined it curiously with 
either eye. " Upon my honor," said he, " a very 
pretty face; very pretty: but then one sees so many 
pretty women in one's travels that one can hardly — 
but hold — bless me! now I look at it again — sure 
enough this is the princess Aldegonda: how could I 
forget one that is so prodigious a favorite with me! " 



a 




^^^^^ 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



"The princess Aldegonda!" echoed the prince; 
*' and where is she to be found? " 

" Softly, softly," said the parrot, " easier to be 
found than gained. She is the only daughter of the 
Christian king who reigns at Toledo, and is shut up 
from the world until her seventeenth birthday, on 
account of some prediction of those meddlesome fel- 
lows the astrologers. You'll not get a sight of her; 
no mortal man can see her. I was admitted to her 
presence to entertain her, and I assure you, on the 
word of a parrot, who has seen the world, I have con- 
versed with much sillier princesses in my time." 

" A word in confidence, my dear parrot," said the 
prince; " I am heir to a kingdom, and shall one day 
sit upon a throne. I see that you are a bird of parts, 
and understand the world. Help me to gain posses- 
sion of this princess, and I will advance you to some 
distinguished place about court." 

" With all my heart," said the parrot; '" but let it 
be a sinecure if possible, for we mts have a great dis- 
like to labor." 

Arrangements were promptly made; the prince 
sallied forth from Cordova through the same gate by 
which he had entered; called the owl down from the 
hole in the wall, introduced him to his new travelling 
. S*y ^ companion as a brother savant, and away they set off 

«m,n«,.^ij^ ^-*J^., on their journey. 
.1^5^.^; ^ «f;^"^|fi They travelled much more slowly than accorded 



r'' 



\ -- 











v6*-^ 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



with the impatience of the prince, but the parrot was 
accustomed to high life, and did not like to be dis- 
turbed early in the morning. The owl, on the other 
hand, was for sleeping at mid-day, and lost a great 
deal of time by his long siestas. His antiquarian taste 
also was in the way; for he insisted on pausing and 
inspecting every ruin, and had long legendary tales 
to tell about every old tower and castle in the country. 
The prince had supposed that he and the parrot, being 
both birds of learning, would delight in each other's 
society, but never had he been more mistaken. They 
were eternally bickering. The one was a wit, the 
other a philosopher. The parrot quoted poetry, was 
critical on new readings and eloquent on small points 
of erudition; the owl treated all such knowledge as 
trifling, and relished nothing but metaphysics. Then 
the parrot would sing songs and repeat bon mots and 
crack jokes upon his solemn neighbor, and laugh out- 
rageously at his own wit; all which proceedings the 
owl considered as a grievous invasion of his dignity, 
and would scowl and sulk and swell, and be silent for 
a whole day together. 

The prince heeded not the wranglings of his com- 
panions, being wrapped up in the dreams of his own 
fancy and the contemplation of the portrait of the 
beautiful princess. In this way they journeyed 
through the stern passes of the Sierra Morena, across 
the sunburnt plains of La INIancha and Castile, and 

69 




^ ^r"" 
^j^ •.":;.. 



. Wi 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







along the banks of the " Golden Tagus," which winds 
its wizard mazes over one-half of Spain and Portugal. 
At length they came in sight of a strong eity with 
walls and towers built on a rocky promontory, round 
the foot of which the Tagus circled with brawling 
violence. 

" Behold," exclaimed the owl, " the ancient and 
renowned city of Toledo ; a city famous for its antiq- 
uities. Behold those venerable domes and towers, 
hoary with time and clothed with legendary grandeur, 
'I' in which so many of my ancestors have meditated." 

" Pish! " cried the parrot, interrupting his solemn 
antiquarian rapture, " what have we to do with antiq- 
uities, and legends, and your ancestry? Behold what 
is more to the purpose — ^behold the abode of youth 
and beauty — behold at length, O prince, the abode of 
your long-sought princess." 

The prince looked in the direction indicated by the 
parrot, and beheld, in a delightful green meadow on 
the banks of the Tagus, a stately palace rising from 
amidst the bowers of a delicious garden. It was just 
such a place as had been described by the dove as the 
residence of the original of the picture. He gazed 
at it with a throbbing heart; "perhaps at this 
moment," thought he, " the beautiful princess is 
sporting beneath those shady bowers, or pacing with 
delicate steps those stately terraces, or reposing 
beneath those lofty roofs I " As he looked more nar- 

60 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



rowly he perceived that the walls of the garden were 
of great height, so as to defy access, while numbers 
of armed guards patrolled around them. 

The prince turned to the parrot. " O most accom- 
phshed of birds," said he, " thou hast the gift of 
human speech. Hie thee to yon garden ; seek the idol 
of mj^ soul, and tell her that Prince Ahmed, a pilgrim 
of love, and guided by the stars, has arrived in quest 
of her on the flowery banks of the Tagus." 

The parrot, proud of his embassy, flew away to 
the garden, mounted above its lofty walls, and after 
soaring for a time over the lawns and groves, alighted 
on the balcony of a pavilion that overhung the river. 
Here, looking in at the casement, he beheld the prin- 
cess reclining on a couch, with her eyes fixed on a 
paper, while tears gently stole after each other down 
her pallid cheek. 

Pluming his wings for a moment, adjusting his 
bright green coat, and elevating his top-knot, the 
parrot perched himself beside her with a gallant air: 
then assuming a tenderness of tone, " Dry thy tears, 
most beautiful of princesses," said he, "I come to 
bring solace to thy heart." 

The princess was startled on hearing a voice, but 
turning and seeing nothmg but a little green-coated 
bird bobbing and bowing before her ; " Alas ! what 
solace canst thou yield," said she, " seeing thou art 
but a parrot? " 

61 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




The parrot was nettled at the question. " I have 
consoled many beautiful ladies in my time," said he; 
" but let that pass. At present I come ambassador 
from a royal pnnce. Know that Ahmed, the 
Prince of Granada, has arrived in quest of thee, 
and is encamped even now on the flowery banks of 
the Tagus." 

iThe eyes of the beautiful princess sparkled at 
these words even brighter than the diamonds in her 
coronet. " O sweetest of parrots," cried she, " joyful 
indeed are thy tidings, for I was faint and weary, 
and sick almost unto death with doubt of the con- 
stancy of Ahmed. Hie thee back, and tell him that 
the words of his letter are engraven in my heart, and 
his poetry has been the food of my soul. Tell him, 
however, that he must prepare to prove his love by 
force of arms ; to-morrow is my seventeenth birthday, 
when the king my father holds a great tournament; 
several princes are to enter the lists, and my hand is 
to be the prize of the victor." 

The parrot again took wing, and rustling through 
the groves, flew back to where the prince awaited his 
return. The rapture cf Ahmed on finding the original 
of his adored portrait, and findings her kind and true, 
can only be conceived by those favored mortals who 
have had the good fortune to realize day-dreams and 
turn a shadow into substance : still there was one thing 
that alloyed his transport — this impending tourna- 



62 









W ?_ . m^ ^' '"' '^ '--^'^ ^- 










PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



ment. In fact, the banks of the Tagus were already 
ghttering with arms, and resounding with trumpets 
of the various knights, who, with proud retinues, were 
prancing on towards Toledo to attend the ceremonial. 
The same star that had controlled the destiny of the 
prince had governed that of the princess, and until 
her seventeenth birthday she had been shut up from 
the world, to guard her from the tender passion. The 
fame of her charms, however, had been enhanced 
rather than obscured by this seclusion. Several pow- 
erful princes had contended for her hand; and her 
father, who was a king of wondrous shrewdness, to 
avoid making enemies by shoA\'ing partiality, had 
referred them to the arbitrament of arms. Among 
the rival candidates were several renowned for 
strength and prowess. What a predicament for the 
unfortunate Ahmed, unprovided as he was with 
weapons, and unskilled in the exercise of chivalry! 
" Luckless prince that I am! " said he, " to have been 
brought up in seclusion under the eye of a philoso- 
pher! Of what avail are algebra and philosophy in 
affairs of love? Alas, Eben Bonabben! why hast 
thou neglected to instruct me in the management of 
arms?" Upon this the owl broke silence, preluding 
his harangue with a pious ejaculation, for he was a 
devout Mussulman. 

" Allah Akbar! God is great! " exclaimed he; " in 
his hands are all secret things — he alone governs the §i 



>. 



-> 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







destiny of princes ! Know, O prince, that this land is 
full of mysteries, hidden from all but those who, like 
myself, can grope after knowledge in the dark. Know 
that in the neighboring mountains there is a cave, and 
in that cave there is an iron table, and on that table 
there lies a suit of magic armor, and beside that table 
there stands a spell-bound steed, which have been shut 
up there for many generations." 

The prince stared with wonder, while the owl, 
blinking his huge round eyes, and erecting his horns, 
proceeded. 

" Many years since, I accompanied my father to 
these parts on a tour of his estates, and we sojourned 
in that cave; and thus became I acquainted with the 
mystery. It is a tradition in our family wliich I have 
heard from my grandfather, when I was yet but a 
very little owlet, that this armor belonged to a Moorish 
magician, who took refuge in this cavern when Toledo 
was captured by the Christians, and died here, leaving 
his steed and weapons under a mystic spell, never to 
be used but by a Moslem, and by him only from sun- 
rise to mid-day. In that interval, whoever uses them 
will overthrow every opponent." 

"Enough; let us seek this cave!" exclaimed 
Ahmed. 

Guided by his legendary mentor, the prince found 
the cavern, which was in one of the wildest re- 
cesses of those rocky cliffs which rise around Toledo ; 

64 






PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



none but the mousing eye of an owl or an antiquary- 
could have discovered the entrance to it. A sepulchral 
lamp of everlasting oil shed a solemn light through 
the place. On an iron table in the centre of the cavern 
lay the magic armor, against it leaned the lance, and 
beside it stood an Arabian steed, caparisoned for the 
field, but motionless as a statue. The armor was 
bright and unsullied as it had gleamed in days of old ; 
the steed in as good condition as if just from the 
pasture; and when Alimed laid his hand upon his 
neck, he pawed the ground and gave a loud neigh of 
joy that shook the walls of the cavern. Thus amply 
provided with " horse and rider and weapon to wear," 
the prince determined to defy the field in the impend- 
ing tourney. 

The eventful morning arrived. The lists for the 
combat were prepared in the Vega, or plain, just 
below the cliff -built walls of Toledo, where stages and 
galleries were erected for the spectators, covered with 
rich tapestry, and sheltered from the sun by silken 
awnings. All the beauties of the land were assembled 
in those galleries, while below pranced plumed knights 
with their pages and esquires, among whom figured 
conspicuously the princes who were to contend in the 
tourney. All the beauties of the land, however, were 
eclipsed when the Princess Aldegonda appeared in the 
royal pavilion, and for the first time broke forth upon 
the gaze of an admiring world. A murmur of wonder 

5 65 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




ran through the crowd at her transcendent loveliness ; 
and the princes who were candidates for her hand, 
merely on the faith of her reported charms, now felt 
tenfold ardor for the conflict. 

The princess, however, had a troubled look. The 
color came and went from her cheek, and her eye 
wandered with a restless and unsatisfied expression 
over the plumed throng of knights. The trumpets 
were about sounding for the encounter, when the 
herald announced the arrival of a strange knight; and 
Ahmed rode into the field. A steel helmet studded 
with gems rose above his turban; his cuirass was 
embossed with gold; his cimeter and dagger were of 
the workmanship of Fez, and flamed with precious 
stones. A round shield was at his shoulder, and in 
his hand he bore the lance of charmed virtue. The 
caparison of his Arabian steed was richly embroid- 
ered and swept the ground, and the proud animal 
pranced and snuffed the air, and neighed with joy at 
once more beholding the array of arms. The lofty 
and graceful demeanor of the prince struck every eye, 
and when his appellation was announced, " The Pil- 
grim of Love," a universal flutter and agitation pre- 
vailed among the fair dames in the galleries. 

When Ahmed presented himself at the lists, how- 
ever, they were closed against him: none but princes, 
he was told, were admitted to the contest. He de- 
clared his name and rank. Still worse! — he was a 

66 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



Moslem, and could not engage in a tourney where 
the hand of a Christian princess was the prize. 

The rival princes surrounded him with haughty 
and menacing aspects; and one of insolent demeanor 
and herculean frame sneered at his light and youthful 
form, and scoffed at his amorous appellation. The 
ire of the prince was roused. He defied his rival to 
the encounter. They took distance, wheeled, and 
charged ; and at the first touch of the magic lance, the 
brawny scoffer was tilted from his saddle. Here the 
prince would have paused, but alas! he had to deal 
with a demoniac horse and armor ; once in action noth- 
ing could control them. The Arabian steed charged 
into the thickest of the throng; the lance overturned 
everything that presented; the gentle prince was 
carried pell-mell about the field, strewing it with high 
and low, gentle and simple, and grieving at his own 
involuntary exploits. The king stormed and raged at 
this outrage on his subjects and his guests. He 
ordered out all his guards — ^they were unhorsed as fast 
as they came up. The king threw off his robes, 
grasped buckler and lance, and rode forth to awe the 
stranger with the presence of majesty itself. Alas! 
majesty fared no better than the vulgar; the steed and 
lance were no respecters of persons ; to the dismay of 
Ahmed, he was borne full tilt against the king, and in 
a moment the royal heels were in the air, and the 
crown was rolling in the dust. 

67 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



15.^ 



At this moment the sun reached the meridian ; the 
magic spell resumed its power; the Arabian steed 
scoured across the plain, leaped the barrier, plunged 
into the Tagus, swam its raging current, bore the 
prince breathless and amazed to the cavern, and re- 
sumed his station, like a statue, beside the iron table. 
The prince dismounted right gladly, and replaced the 
armor, to abide the further decrees of fate. Then 
seating himself in the cavern, he ruminated on the 
desperate state to which this demoniac steed and 
armor had reduced him. Never should he dare to 
show his face at Toledo after inflicting such disgrace 
upon its chivalrj;^, and such an outrage on its king. 
What too would the princess think of so rude and 
riotous an achievement? Full of anxiety, he sent 
forth his winged messengers to gather tidings. The 
parrot resorted to all the public places and crowded 
resorts of the city, and soon returned with a world of 
gossip. All Toledo was in consternation. The prin- 
cess had been borne off senseless to the palace; the 
tournament had ended in confusion; every one was 
talking of the sudden apparition, prodigious exploits, 
and strange disappearance of the Moslem knight. 
Some pronounced him a Moorish magician; others 
thought him a demon who had assumed a human 
shape, while others related traditions of enchanted 
warriors hidden in the caves of the mountains, and 
r^-' thought it might be one of these, who had made a 








PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



sudden irruption from his den. All agreed that no 
mere ordinary mortal could have wrought such won- 
ders, or unhorsed such accomplished and stalwart 
Christian warriors. 

The owl flew forth at night and hovered about the 
dusky city, perching on the roofs and chimneys. He 
then wheeled his flight up to the royal palace, which 
stood on a rocky summit of Toledo, and went prowl- 
ing about its terraces and battlements, eavesdropping 
at every cranny, and glaring in with his big goggling 
eyes at every window where there was a light, so as to 
throw two or three maids of honor into fits. It was 
not until the gray dawn began to peer above the 
mountains that he returned from his mousing expedi- 
tion, and related to the prince what he had seen. 

" As I was prying about one of the loftiest towers 
of the palace," said he, " I beheld through a casement 
a beautiful princess. She was reclining on a couch 
with attendants and phj^sicians around her, but she 
would none of their ministry and relief. When they 
retired I beheld her draw forth a letter from her 
bosom, and read and kiss it, and give way to loud 
lamentations; at which, philosopher as I am, I could 
but be greatly moved." 

The tender heart of Ahmed was distressed at these 
tidings. " Too true were thy words, O sage Eben 
Bonabben," cried he; " care and sorrow and sleepless 

Allah preserve the prin- 

69 



nights are the lot of lovers. 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



cess from the blighting influence of this thing called 
love!" 

Further intelligence from Toledo corroborated the 
report of the owl. The city was a prey to uneasiness 
and alarm. The princess was conveyed to the highest 
tower of the palace, every avenue to which was 
strongly guarded. In the meantime a devouring 
melancholy had seized upon her, of wliich no one could 
divine the cause — she refused food and turned a deaf 
ear to every consolation. The most skilful physicians 
^«^ji? 4=: had essayed their art in vain ; it was thought some 
magic spell had been practised upon her, and the king 
made proclamation, declaring that whoever should 
effect her cure should receive the richest jewel in the 
royal treasury. 

When the owl, who was dozing in a corner, heard 
,^^of this proclamation, he rolled his large eyes and 
looked more mysterious than ever. 
rtCTM.^-'W.>^j*^ "Allah Akbar!" exclaimed he, "happy the man 
that shall effect that cure, should he but know what 
to choose from the royal treasury." 

" What mean you, most reverend owl? " said 
Ahmed. 

" Hearken, O prince, to what I shall relate. We 
owls, you must know, are a learned body, and much 
given to dark and dusty research. During my late 
prowling at night about the domes and turrets of 
Toledo, I discovered a college of antiquarian owls, 

70 




PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



who hold their meetings in a great vaulted tower 
where the royal treasury is deposited. Here they 
were discussing the forms and inscriptions and designs 
of ancient gems and jewels, and of golden and silver 
vessels, heaped up in the treasury, the fashion of every 
country and age; but mostly they were interested 
about certain relics and talismans that have remained 
in the treasury since the time of Roderick the Goth. 
Among these was a box of sandal-wood secured by 
bands of steel of Oriental workmanship, and inscribed 
with mystic characters known only to the learned few. 
This box and its inscription had occupied the college 
for several sessions, and had caused much long and 
grave dispute. At the time of my visit a very ancient 
owl, who had recently arrived from Egypt, was seated 
on the lid of the box lecturing upon the inscription, 
and he proved from it that the coffer contained the 
silken carpet of the throne of Solomon the wise ; which 
doubtless had been brought to Toledo by the Jews 
who took refuge there after the downfall of Jeru- 
salem." 

When the owl had concluded his antiquarian 
harangue the prince remained for a time absorbed in 
thought. " I have heard," said he, " from the sage 
Eben Bonabben, of the wonderful properties of that 
talisman, which disappeared at the fall of Jerusalem, 
and was supposed to be lost to mankind. Doubtless 
it remains a sealed mystery to the Christians of 




71 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Toledo. If I can get possession of that carpet, my 
fortune is secure." 

The next day the prince laid aside his rich attire, 
and arrayed himself in the simple garb of an Arab of 
the desert. He dyed his complexion to a tawny hue, 
and no one could have recognized in him the splendid 
warrior who had caused such admiration and dismay 
at the tournament. With staff in hand, and scrip by 
his side, and a small pastoral reed, he repaired to 
Toledo, and presented himself at the gate of the royal 
palace, announced himself as a candidate for the 
reward offered for the cure of the princess. The 
guards would have driven him away with blows. 
" What can a vagrant Arab like thyself pretend to 
do," said they, " in a case where the most learned of 
the land have failed? " The king, however, overheard 
the tumult, and ordered the Arab to be brought into 
his presence. 

" Most potent king," said Ahmed, " you behold 
before you a Bedouin Arab, the greater part of whose 
life has been passed in the solitudes of the desert. 
These solitudes, it is well knov/n, are the haunts of 
demons and evil spirits, who beset us poor shepherds 
in our lonely watchings, enter into and possess our 
flocks and herds, and sometimes render even the 
patient camel furious; against these our counter- 
charm is music; and we have legendary airs handed 
down from generation to generation, that we chant 



72 










PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



and pipe, to cast forth these evil spirits. I am of a 
gifted hne, and possess this power in its fullest force. 
If it be any evil influence of the kind that holds a 
spell over thy daughter, I pledge my head to free her 
from its sway." 

The king, who was a man of understanding and 
knew the wonderful secrets possessed by the Arabs, 
was inspired with hope by the confident language of 
the prince. He conducted him immediately to the 
lofty tower, secured by several doors, in the summit 
of which was the chamber of the princess. The win- 
dows opened upon a terrace with balustrades, com- 
manding a view over Toledo and all the surrounding 
country. The windows were darkened, for the prin- 
cess lay within, a prey to a devouring grief that re- 
fused all alleviation. 

The prince seated himself on the terrace, and per- 
formed several wild Arabian airs on his pastoral pipe, 
which he had learnt from his attendants in the Gen- 
eralife at Granada. The princess continued insen- 
sible, and the doctors who were present shook their 
heads, and smiled with incredulity and contempt; at 
length the prince laid aside the reed, and, to a simple 
melody, chanted the amatory verses of the letter 
which had declared his passion. 

The princess recognized the strain — a fluttering 
joy stole to her heart ; she raised her head and listened ; 
tears rushed to her eyes and streamed down her 

73 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



r^ 




/ 



.>^>>— 



iv 






cheeks ; her bosom rose and fell with a tumult of emo- 
tions. She would have asked for the minstrel to be 
brought into her presence, but maiden coyness held 
her silent. The king read her wishes, and at his com- 
mand Ahmed was conducted into the chamber. The 
lovers were discreet : they but exchanged glances, yet 
those glances spoke volumes. Never was triumph of 
music more complete. The rose had returned to the 
soft cheek of the princess, the freshness to her lip, 
and the dewy light to her languishing eyes. 

All the physicians present stared at each other 
with astonishment. The king regarded the Arab 
minstrel with admiration mixed with awe. " Wonder- 
ful youth! " exclaimed he, " thou shalt henceforth be 
the first physician of my court, and no other prescrip- 
tion will I take but thy melody. For the present 
receive thy reward, the most precious jewel in my 
treasury." 

" O king," replied Ahmed, *' I care not for silver 
or gold or precious stones. One relic hast thou in thy 
treasury, handed down from the Moslems who once 
owned Toledo — a box of sandal-wood containing a 
silken carpet : give me that box, and I am content." 

All present were surprised at the moderation of 
the Arab ; and still more when the box of sandal- wood 
was brought and the carpet drawn forth. It was of 
fine green silk, covered with Hebrew and Chaldaic 
characters. The court physicians looked at each other, 

74 




^^f»^ 



PRINCE AHMED AL KAMEL 



shrugged their shoulders, and smiled at the simplicity 
of this new practitioner, who could be content with so 
paltry a fee. 

" This carpet," said the prince, " once covered the 
throne of Solomon the wise; it is worthy of being 
placed beneath the feet of beauty." 

So saying, he spread it on the terrace beneath an 
ottoman tliat had been brought forth for the princess ; 
then seating himself at her feet — 

" Who," said he, " shall counteract what is written 
in the book of fate? Behold the prediction of the 
astrologers verified. Know, O king, that your daugh- 
ter and I have long loved each other in secret. Behold 
in me the Pilgrim of Love! " 

These words were scarcely from his hps, when the 
carpet rose in the air, bearing off the prince and prin- 
cess. The king and the physicians gazed after it with 
open mouths and straining eyes until it became a little 
speck on the white bosom of a cloud, and then disap- 
peared in the blue vault of heaven. 

The king in a rage summoned his treasurer. 
" How is this," said he, " that thou hast suffered an 
infidel to get possession of such a talisman? " 

" Alas, sir, we knew not its nature, nor could we 
decipher the inscription of the box. If it be indeed 
the carpet of the throne of the wise Solomon, it is 
possessed of magic power, and can transport its owner 
from place to place through the air." 



75 




^^'•":;:'^ 

^-^ — 




-i-iyr 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




The king assembled a mighty army, and set off for 
Granada in pursuit of the fugitives. His march was 
long and toilsome. Encamping in the Vega, he sent 
a herald to demand restitution of his daughter. The 
kinff himself came forth with all his court to meet him. 
In the king he beheld the real minstrel, for Ahmed 
had succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, 
and the beautiful Aldegonda was his sultana. 

The Christian king was easily pacified when he 
found that his daughter was suffered to continue in 
her faith; not that he was particularly pious; but 
religion is always a point of pride and etiquette with 
princes. Instead of bloody battles, there was a suc- 
cession of feasts and rejoicings, after which the king 
returned well pleased to Toledo, and the youthful 
couple continued to reign as happily as wisely, in the 
Alhambra. 

It is proper to add, that the owl and the parrot had 
' '^"^'w^*^ severally followed the prince by easy stages to 
A. . Granada; the former travelling by night, and stop- 

^rTA»t',,''V-'-''V^ping at the various hereditaiy possessions of his 
family ; the latter figuring in gay circles of every town 
and city on his route. 

Ahmed gratefully requited the services which they 
had rendered on his pilgrimage. He appointed the 
owl his prime minister, the parrot his master of cere- 
monies. It is needless to say that never was a realm 
more sagely administered, nor a court conducted with 
more exact punctilio. 

76 




LEGEND OF THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



irtiiBii 









¥ 



j Jib,' . Jfl)! 

/fllllllil .4'1(«- 




LEGEND OF THE MOOR'S 
LEGACY 



Just within the fortress of the Alhambra, in front 
of the royal palace, is a broad open esplanade, called 
the Place or Square of the Cisterns (la Plaza de los 
Algibes), so called from being undermined by reser- 
voirs of water, hidden from sight, and which have 
existed from the time of the Moors. At one corner of 
this esplanade is a Moorish well, cut through the living 
rock to a great depth, the water of which is cold as 
ice and clear as crystal. The wells made by the Moors 
are always in repute, for it is well known what pains 
they took to penetrate to the purest and sweetest 
springs and fountains. The one of which we now 
speak is famous throughout Granada, insomuch that 
water-carriers, some bearing great water- jars on their 
shoulders, others driving asses before them laden with 
earthen vessels, are ascending and descending the 
steep woody avenues of the Alhambra, from early 
dawn until a late hour of the night. 

Fountains and wells, ever since the scriptural days, 
have been noted gossiping places in hot climates ; and 
at the well in question there is a kind of perpetual club 
kept up during the livelong day, by the invalids, old 

79 



/ 



'>. 



*> 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 





\m 



women, and other curious donothing folk of the for- 
tress, who sit here on the stone henches, under an awn- 
ing spread over the well to shelter the toll-gatherer 
from the sun, and dawdle over the gossip of the for- 
tress, and question every water-carrier that arrives 
ahout the news of the city, and make long comments 
on everything they hear and see. Not an hour of the 
day but loitering housewives and idle maid-servants 
may be seen, lingering with pitcher on head or in 
hand, to hear the last of the endless tattle of these 
worthies. 

Among the water-carriers who once resorted to 
this well, there was a sturdy, strong-backed, bandy- 
legged little fellow, named Pedro Gil, but called Pere- 
gil for shortness. Being a water-carrier, he was a 
Gallego, or native of Gallicia, of course. Nature 
seems to have formed races of men, as she has of 
animals, for different kinds of drudgery. In France 
the shoeblacks are all Savoyards, the porters of hotels 
all Swiss, and in the days of hoops and hair-powder 
in England, no man could give the regular swing to 
a sedan-chair but a bog-trotting Irishman. So in 
Spain, the carriers of water and bearers of burdens 
are all sturdy little natives of Gallicia. No man says, 
" Get me a porter," but, " Call a Gallego." 

To return from this digression, Peregil the Gal- 
lego had begun business with merely a great earthen 
jar which he carried upon his shoulder; by degrees he 

80 






THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



rose in the world, and was enabled to purchase an 
assistant of a correspondent class of animals, being a 
stout shaggy-haired donkey. On each side of this his 
long-eared aid-de-camp, in a kind of pannier, were 
slung his water- jars, cavered with fig-leaves to pro- 
tect them from the sun. There was not a more indus- 
trious water-carrier in all Granada, nor one more 
merry withal. The streets rang with his cheerful voice 
as he trudged after his donkey, singing forth the 
usual summer note that resounds through the Span- 
ish towns : " Quien quiere agua — agua mas fria que 
la nieve? " — " Who wants water — water colder than 
snow? Who wants water from the well of the Alham- 
bra, cold as ice and clear as crystal? " When he served 
a customer with a sparkling glass, it was always with 
a pleasant word that caused a smile ; and if, perchance, 
it was a comely dame or dimpling damsel, it was 
always with a sly leer and a compliment to her beauty 
that was irresistible. Thus Peregil the Gallego was 
noted throughout all Granada for being one of the 
civilest, pleasantest, and happiest of mortals. Yet it 
is not he who sings loudest and jokes most that has 
the lightest heart. Under all this air of merriment, 
honest Peregil had his cares and troubles. He had a 
large family of ragged children to support, who were 
hungry and clamorous as a nest of young swallows, 
and beset him with their outcries for food whenever 
he came home of an evening. He had a helpmate, too, 

6 81 



s'=^ 













LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




who was anything but a help to him. She had been a 
village beauty before marriage, noted for her skill at 
dancing the bolero and rattling the castanets ; and she 
still retained her early propensities, spending the hard 
earnings of honest Peregil in frippery, and laying the 
very donkey under requisition for junketing parties 
into the country on Sundays, and saints' days, and 
those innumerable holidays which are rather more 
numerous in Spain than the days of the week. With 
all this she was a little of a slattern, something more 
of a lie-abed, and, above all, a gossip of the first water ; 
neglecting house, household, and everything else, to 
loiter slipshod in the houses of her gossip neighbors. 

He, however, who tempers the wind to the shorn 
lamb, accommodates the yoke of matrimony to the 
submissive neck. Peregil bore all the heavy dispen- 
sations of wife and children with as meek a spirit as 
his donkey bore the water-jars; and, however he might 
shake his ears in private, never ventured to question 
the household virtues of his slattern spouse. 

He loved his children too even as an owl loves its 
owlets, seeing in them his own image multiplied and 
perpetuated; for they were a sturdy, long-backed, 
bandy-legged little brood. The great pleasure of 
honest Peregil was, whenever he could afford himself 
a scanty holiday, and had a handful of marevedis to 
spare, to take the whole litter forth with him, some in 
his arms, some tugging at his skirts, and some trudg- 

83 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



ing at his heels, and to treat them to a gambol among 
the orchards of the Vega, wliile his wife was dancing 
with her holiday friends in the Angosturas of the 
Darro. 

It was a late hour one summer night, and most of 
the water-carriers had desisted from their toils. The 
day had been uncommonly sultry; the night was one 
of those delicious moonlights, which tempt the inhab- 
itants of southern climes to indemnify themselves for 
the heat and inaction of the day, by lingering in the 
open air, and enjoying its tempered sweetness until 
after midnight. Customers for water were therefore 
still abroad. Peregil, like a considerate, painstaking 
father, thought of his hungry children. " One more 
journey to the well," said he to himself, *' to earn a 
Sunday's puchero for the little ones." So saying, he 
trudged manfully up the steep avenue of the Alham- 
bra, singing as he went, and now and then bestowing 
a hearty thwack with a cudgel on the flanks of his 
donkey, either by way of cadence to the song, or 
refreshment to the animal ; for dry blows serve in lieu 
of provender in Spain for all beasts of burden. 

When arrived at the well, he found it deserted by 
every one except a solitary stranger in Moorish garb, 
seated on a stone bench in the moonlight. Peregil 
paused at first and regarded him with surprise, not 
unmixed with awe, but the Moor feebly beckoned him 
to approach. " I am faint and ill," said he, " aid me 

83 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



to return to the city, and I will pay thee double what 
thou couldst gain by thy jars of water." 

The honest heart of the little water-carrier was 
touched with compassion at the appeal of the stranger. 
" God forbid," said he, " that I should ask fee or 
reward for doing a common act of humanity." He 
accordingly helped the Moor on his donkey, and set 
oiF slowly for Granada, the poor Moslem being so 
weak that it was necessary to hold him on the animal 
to keep him from falling to the earth. 

When the}'- entered the city, the water-carrier de- 
manded whither he should conduct him. " Alas ! " 
said the Moor, faintly, " I have neither home nor habi- 
tation, I am a stranger in the land. Suffer me to lay 
my head this night beneath thy roof, and thou shalt 
be amply repaid." 

Honest Peregil thus saw himself unexpectedly 
saddled with an infidel guest, but he was too humane 
to refuse a night's shelter to a fellow being in so for- 
lorn a plight, so he conducted the Moor to his dwell- 
ing. The children, who had sallied forth open- 
mouthed as usual on hearing the tramp of the donkey, 
ran back with affright, when they beheld the turbaned 
stranger, and hid themselves behind their mother. 
The latter stepped forth intrepidly, like a ruffling 
hen before her brood when a vagrant dog approaches. 

" What infidel companion," cried she, " is this you 
b\ ip^X^4^ have brought home at this late hour, to draw upon us 
^^W^'k^'^'"' '^'^ ^y^^ °^ ^^ inquisition? " 







84 







1^ 






THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



" Be quiet, wife," replied the Gallego, " here is a 
poor sick stranger, without friend or home; wouldst 
thou turn him forth to perish in the streets, " 

The wife would have remonstrated, for although 
she lived in a hovel she was a furious stickler for the 
credit of her house; the little water-carrier, however, 
for once was stifFnecked, and refused to bend beneath 
the yoke. He assisted the poor JNIoslem to alight, and 
spread a mat and a sheep-skin for him, on the ground, 
in the coolest part of the house; being the only kind 
of bed that his poverty afforded. 

In a little while the Moor was seized with violent 
convulsions, which defied all the ministering skill of 
the simple water-carrier. The eye of the poor patient 
acknowledged his kindness. During an interval of 
his fits he called him to his side, and addressing him 
in a low voice, " My end," said he, " I fear is at hand. 
If I die, I bequeath you this box as a reward for your 
charity; " so saying, he opened his albornoz, or cloak, 
and showed a small box of sandal-wood, strapped 
round his body. *' God grant, my friend," replied 
the worthy little Gallego, " that you may live many 
years to enjoy your treasure, whatever it may be." 
The Moor shook his head; he laid his hand upon the 
box, and would have said something more concerning 
it, but his convulsions returned with increasing vio- 
lence, and in a little while he expired. 

The water-carrier's wife was now as one dis- 



tracted. " This comes,' 



said she 

85 



of your foolish 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




good nature, always running into scrapes to oblige 
others. What will become of us when this corpse is 
found in our house? We shall be sent to prison as 
murderers; and if we escape with our lives, shall be 
ruined by notaries and alguazils." 

Poor Peregil was in equal tribulation, and almost 
repented himself of having done a good deed. At 
length a thought struck him. "It is not yet day," 
said he ; " I can convey the dead body out of the city, 
-., .~s -, and bury it in the sands on the banks of the Xenil. 

^X^Am& ^ -^^ ^'^^ ^^^ ^^ Moor enter our dwelling, and no one 
will know anything of his death." 

So said, so done. The wife aided him; they rolled 
the body of the unfortunate Moslem in the mat on 
which he had expired, laid it across the ass, and Peregil 
set out with it for the banks of the river. 

As ill luck would have it, there lived opposite to the 
water-carrier a barber named Pedrillo Pedrugo, one 
^ of the most prying, tattling, and mischief-making of 
his gossip tribe. He was a w^easel-faced, spider-legged 
varlet, supple and insinuating; the famous barber of 
Seville could not surpass him for his universal knowl- 
edge of the affairs of others, and he had no more 
power of retention than a sieve. It was said that he 
slept but with one eye at a time, and kept one ear 
uncovered, so that, even in his sleep, he might see and 
hear all that was going on. Certain it is, he was a sort 
of scandalous chronicle for the quid-nuncs of Gra- 

8G 







THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



nada, and had more customers than all the rest of 
his fraternity. 

This meddlesome barber heard Peregil arrive at 
an unusual hour at night, and the exclamations of his 
wife and children. His head was instantly popped 
out of a little window which served him as a look-out, 
and he saw his neighbor assist a man in Moorish garb 
into his dwelling. This was so strange an occurrence, 
that Pedrillo Pedrugo slept not a wink that night. 
Every five minutes he was at his loophole, watching 
the lights that gleamed through the chinks of his 

neighbor's door, and before daylight he beheld Peregil 
sally forth with his donkey unusually laden. %1^ 

The inquisitive barber was in a fidget; he slipped **J -'^^ 

on his clothes, and, stealing forth silently, followed the 

water-carrier at a distance, until he saw him dig a hole 

in the sandy bank of the Xenil, and bury something 

that had the appearance of a dead body. 

The barber hied him home, and fidgeted about his 

shop, setting everything upside down, until sunrise. 

He then took a basin under his arm, and salHed forth 

to the house of his daily customer the alcalde. 

The alcalde was just risen. Pedrillo Pedrugo 

seated him in a chau% threw a napkin round his neck, 

put a basin of hot water under his chin, and began to 

mollify his beard with his fingers. 

"Strange doings!" said Pedrugo, who played 

barber and newsmonger at the same time — " Strange 

8T 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



doings! Robbery, and murder, and burial all in one 



-how! — what is that you say? " cried the 




i 



night!" 

"Hey!- 
alcalde. 

" I say," replied the barber, rubbing a piece of 
soap over the nose and mouth of the dignitary, for a 
Spanish barber disdains to employ a brush — " I say 
that Peregil the Gallego has robbed and murdered a 
Moorish Mussulman, and buried him, this blessed 
night. Maldita sea la noclie — accursed be the night 
for same! " 

" But how do you know all this? " demanded the 
alcalde. 

"Be patient, Senor, and you shall hear all about 
it," replied Pedrillo, taking him by the nose and slid- 
ing a razor over his cheek. He then recounted all that 
he had seen, going through both operations at the 
same time, shaving his beard, washing his chin, and 
wiping him dry with a dirty napkin, while he was 
robbing, murdering, and burying the Moslem. 

Now it so happened that this alcalde was one of 
the most overbearing, and at the same time most grip- 
ing and corrupt curmudgeons in all Granada. It 
could not be denied, however, that he set a high value 
upon justice, for he sold it at its weight in gold. He 
presumed the case in j)oint to be one of murder and 
robbery ; doubtless there must be a rich spoil ; how was 
it to be secured into the legitimate hands of the law? 



•^ 




THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



for as to merely entrapping the delinquent — that 
would be feeding the gallows; but entrapping the 
booty — that would be enriching the judge, and such, 
according to his creed, was the great end of justice. 
So thinking, he summoned to his presence his trustiest 
alguazil — a gaunt, hungry-looking varlet, clad, ac- 
cording to the custom of his order, in the ancient 
Spanish garb, a broad black beaver turned up at its 
sides; a quaint ruff; a small black cloak dangling 
from his shoulders ; rusty black under-clothes that set 
off his spare wiry frame, while in his hand he bore a 
slender white wand, the dreaded insignia of his office. 
Such was the legal bloodhound of the ancient Spanish 
breed, that he put upon the traces of the unlucky 
water-carrier, and such was his speed and certainty, 
that he was upon the haunches of poor Peregil 
before he had returned to his dwelling, and brought 
both liim and his donkey before the dispenser of 
justice. 

The alcalde bent upon him one of the most terrific 
frowns. "Hark ye, culprit!" roared he, in a voice 
that made the knees of the little Gallego smite to- 
gether — " hark ye, culprit! there is no need of deny- 
ing thy guilt, everything is known to me. A gallows 
is the proper reward for the crime thou hast com- 
mitted, but I am merciful, and readily listen to reason. 
The man that has been murdered in thy house was a 
Moor, an infidel, the enemy of our faith. It was 

89 






a. 




1' 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




doubtless in a fit of religious zeal that thou hast slain 
him. I will be indulgent, therefore; render up the 
property of which thou hast robbed him, and we will 
hush the matter up." 

The poor water-carrier called upon all the saints 
to witness his innocence; alas! not one of them ap- 
peared; and if they had, the alcalde would have dis- 
believed the whole calendar. The water-carrier re- 
lated the whole story of the dying JMoor with the 
strightforward simplicity of truth, but it was all in 
vain. " Wilt thou persist in saying," demanded the 
judge, " that this Moslem had neither gold nor jewels, 
which were the object of thy cupidity? " 

" As I hope to be saved, your worship," replied the 
water-carrier, " he had nothing but a small box of 
sandal-wood which he bequeathed to me in reward for 
mj^ services." 

" A box of sandal-wood! a box of sandal-wood! " 
"^N exclaimed the alcalde, his eyes sparkling at the idea of 
\\ precious jewels. " And where is this box? where have 
^ ^ i you concealed it? " 

<- ^/ " An' it please your grace," replied the water- 
''^^ carrier, " it is in one of the panniers of my mule, and 
heartily at the service of your worship." 

He had hardly spoken the words, when the keen 
S;lr5.f?'-="^l II ^ alguazil darted off, and reappeared in an instant with 
'™'>i^ ?«.cs:if^ the mvsterious box of sandal- wood. 



r 



I 






The alcalde 



^-^^^; ^»r;^*^W opened it with an eager and trembling hand; all 




THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



pressed forward to gaze upon the treasure it was ex- 
pected to contain; when, to their disappointment, 
nothing appeared within, but a parchment scroll, 
covered with Arabic characters, and an end of a waxen 
taper. 

When there is nothing to be gained by the convic- 
tion of a prisoner, justice, even in Spain, is apt to be 
impartial. The alcalde, having recovered from his 
disapj^ointment, and found that there was reall}^ no 
booty in the case, now listened dispassionately to the 
explanation of the water-carrier, which was corrobo- 
rated by the testimony of his wife. Being convinced, 
therefore, of his innocence, he discharged him from 
arrest; nay more, he permitted him to carry off the 
Moor's legacy, the box of sandal-wood and its con- 
tents, as the well-merited reward of his humanity ; but 
he retained his donkey in payment of costs and 
charges. 

Behold the unfortunate little Gallego reduced once 
more to the necessity of being his own water-carrier, 
and trudging up to the well of the Alhambra with a 
great earthen jar upon his shoulder. 

As he toiled up the hill in the heat of a summer 
noon, his usual good humor forsook him. " Dog of 
an alcalde! " would he cry, " to rob a poor man of the 
means of his subsistence, of the best friend he had in 
the world!" And then at the remembrance of the 
beloved companion of his labors, all the kindness of 



91 




'"/^M^r::. 



Z^--^-<"' 




LEGENDS OP THE ALHAMBRA 




his nature would break forth. " Ah, donkey of my 
heart!" would he exclaim, resting his burden on a 
stone, and wiping the sweat from his brow — " Ah, 
donkey of my heart! I warrant me thou thinkest of 
thy old master ! I warrant me thou missest the water- 
jars — poor beast." 

To add to his afflictions, his wife received him, on 
his return home, with whimperings and repinings; 
she had clearly the vantage-ground of him, having 
warned hun not to commit the egregious act of hos- 
pitality which had brought on him all these misfor- 
tunes; and, like a knowing woman, she took every 
occasion to tlirow her superior sagacity in his teeth. 
If her children lacked food, or needed a new garment, 
she could answer with a sneer — " Go to your father — 
he is heir to King Chico of the Alhambra : ask him to 
help you out of the Moor's strong box." 

Was ever poor mortal so soundly punished for 
having done a good action? The unlucky Peregil 
was grieved in flesh and spirit, but still he bore meekly 
with the railings of his spouse. At length, one even- 
ing, when, after a hot day's toil, she taunted him in 
the usual manner, he lost all patience. He did not 
venture to retort upon her, but his eye rested upon the 
box of sandal-wood, which lay on a shelf with lid 
half open, as if laughing in mockery at his vexation. 
Seizing it up, he dashed it with indignation to the 
floor: " Unlucky was the day that I ever set eyes on 

92 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



thee," he cried, " or sheltered thy master beneath my 
roof!" 

As the box struck the floor, the lid flew wide open, 
and the parchment scroll rolled forth. 

Peregil sat regarding the scroll for some time in 
moody silence. At length rallying his ideas: " Who 
knows," thought he, " but this writing may be of some 
importance, as the Moor seems to have guarded it 
with such care? " Picking it up therefore, he put it in 
his bosom, and the next morning, as he was crying 
water through the streets, he stopped at the shop of a 
j\Ioor, a native of Tangiers, who sold trinkets and 
perfumery in the Zacatin, and asked him to explain 
the contents. 

The Moor read the scroll attentively, then stroked 
his beard and smiled. " This manuscript," said he, 
" is a form of incantation for the recovery of hidden 
treasure, that is under the power of enchantment. It 
is said to have such virtue, that the strongest bolts and 
bars, nay the adamantine rock itself, will yield before 
it!" 

" Bah! " cried the little Gallego, " what is all that 
to me? I am no enchanter, and know nothing of 
buried treasure." So saying, he shouldered his water- 
jar, left, the scroll in the hands of the JVIoor, and 
trudged forward on his daily rounds. 

That evening, however, as he rested himself about 
twilight at the well of the Alhambra, he found a num- 

93 



^ 



:%. 



'^ 




g,,iCf 






LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




ber of gossips assembled at the place, and their con- 
versation, as is not unusual at that shadowy hour, 
turned upon old tales and traditions of a supernatural 
nature. Being all poor as rats, they dwelt with pecu- 
liar fondness upon the popular theme of enchanted 
riches left by the Moors in various parts of the 
Alhambra. Above all, they concurred in the belief 
that there were great treasures buried deep in the 
earth under the tower of the seven floors. 

These stories made an unusual impression on the 
mind of the honest Peregil, and they sank deeper and 
deeper into his thoughts as he returned alone down 
the darkling avenues. " If, after all, there should be 
treasure hid beneath that tower: and if the scroll I 
left with the Moor should enable me to get at it ! " In 
the sudden ecstasy of the thought he had well nigh 
let fall his water- jar. 

That night he tumbled and tossed, and could 
scarcely get a wink of sleep for the thoughts that 
were bewildering his brain. Bright and earlj^, he re- 
paired to the shop of the Moor, and told him all that 
was passing in his mind. " You can read Arabic," 
said he; " suppose we go together to the tower, and 
try the effect of the charm; if it fails we are no worse 
off than before; but if it suceeds, we will share 
equally all the treasure we may discover." 

" Hold," replied the Moslem; " this writing is not 
sufficient of itself ; it must be read at midnight, by the 

94 






THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



light of a taper singularly compounded and prepared, 
the ingredients of which are not within my reach. 
Without such a taper the scroll is of no avail." 

" Say no more! " cried the little Gallego; " I have 
such a taper at hand, and will bring it here in a 
moment." So saying he hastened home, and soon re- 
turned with the end of yellow wax taper that he had 
found in the box of sandal-wood. 

The JNIoor felt it and smelt to it. " Here are rare 
and costly perfumes," said he, " combined with this 
yellow wax. Tliis is the kind of taper specified in the 
scroll. While this burns, the strongest walls and most 
secret caverns will remain open. Woe to him, how- 
ever, who lingers within until it be extinguished. He 
will remain enchanted with the treasure." 

It was now agreed between them to try the charm 
that very night. At a late hour, therefore, when noth- 
ing was stirring but bats and owls, they ascended the 
woody hill of the Alhambra, and approached that 
awful tower, shrouded by trees and rendered formid- 
able by so many traditionary tales. By the light of a 
lantern, they groped their way through bushes, and 
over fallen stones, to the door of a vault beneath the 
tower. With fear and trembling they descended a 
flight of steps cut into the rock. It led to an empty 
chamber damp and drear, from which another flight 
of steps led to a deeper vault. In this way they 
descended four several flights, leading into as many 

95 







1,1 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




vaults one below the other, but the floor of the fourth 
was solid ; and though, according to tradition, there 
remained three vaults still below, it was said to be 
impossible to penetrate further, the residue being shut 
up by strong enchantment. The air of this vault was 
damp and chilly, and had an earthy smell, and the 
light scarce cast forth any rays. They paused here 
for a time in breathless suspense until they faintly 
heard the clock of the watchtower strike midnight; 
upon this they lit the waxen taper, which diffused an 
odor of myrrh and frankincense and storax. 

The Moor began to read in a hurried voice. He 
had scarce finished when there was a noise as of sub- 
terraneous thunder. The earth shook, and the floor, 
yawning open, disclosed a flight of steps. Trembling 
with awe they descended, and by the light of the 
lantern found themselves in another vault, covered 
with Arabic inscriptions. In the centre stood a great 
chest, secured with seven bands of steel, at each end 
of which sat an enchanted Moor in armor, but motion- 
less as a statue, being controlled by the power of the 
incantation. Before the chest were several jars filled 
with gold and silver and precious stones. In the 
largest of these they thrust their arms up to the elbow, 
and at every dip hauled forth handfuls of broad yel- 
low pieces of Moorish gold, or bracelets and orna- 
ments of the same precious metal, while occasionally 
a necklace of oriental pearl would stick to their fin- 

96 




(M THE CENTRE STOOD A GREAT CHEST, AT EACH END OF WHICH SAT AN ENCHANTED 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



gers. Still they trembled and breathed short while 
cramming their pockets with the spoils ; and cast many 
a fearful glance at the two enchanted Moors, who sat 
grim and motionless, glaring upon them with unwink- 
ing eyes. At length, struck with a sudden panic at 
some fancied noise, they both rushed up the staircase, 
tumbled over one another into the upper apartment, 
overturned and extinguished the waxen taper, and 
the pavement again closed with a thundering sound. 

Filled with dismay, they did not pause until they 
had groped their way out of the tower, and beheld 
the stars shining through the trees. Then seating 
themselves upon the grass, they divided the spoil, 
determining to content themselves for the present 
with this mere skimming of the jars, but to return on 
some future night and drain them to the bottom. To 
make sure of each other's good faith, also, they divided 
the talismans between them, one retaining the scroll 
and the other the taper; this done, they set oiF with 
light hearts and well-lined pockets for Granada. 

As they wended their way down the hill, the 
shrewd Moor whispered a word of counsel in the ear 
of the simple little water-carrier. 

" Friend Peregil," said he, " all this affair must 
be kept a profound secret until we have secured the 
treasure, and conveyed it out of harm's way. If a 
whisper of it gets to the ear of the alcalde, we are 
undone!" 9^ 

7 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




*' Certainly," replied the Gallego, " nothing can 
be more true." 

" Friend Peregil," said the Moor, " you are a dis- 
creet man, and I make no doubt can keep a secret: 
but you have a wife." 

*' She shall not know a word of it," replied the 
little water-carrier, sturdily. 

" Enough," said the Moor, " I depend upon thy 
discretion and thy promise." 

Never was promise more positive and sincere ; but, 
alas ! what man can keep a secret from his wife ? Cer- 
tainly not such a one as Peregil the water-carrier, who 
was one of the most loving and tractable of husbands. 
On his return home, he found his wife moping in a 
corner. " Mighty well," cried she as he entered, 
" you've come at last; after rambling about until this 
hour of the night. I wonder you have not brought 
home another Moor as a house-mate." Then burst- 
ing into tears, she began to wring her hands and smite 
her breast: " Unhappy woman that I am! " exclaimed 
she, " what will become of me? My house stripped 
and plundered by lawyers and alguazils ; my husband 
a do-no-good, that no longer brings home bread to 
his family, but goes rambling about day and night, 
with infidel Moors! O my children! my children! 
what will become of us? we shall all have to beg in 
the streets ! " 

Honest Peregil was so moved by the distress of 



'"vi-i 




m'iimWii'/i'i ' 



m i 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



his spouse, that he could not help whimpering also. 
His heart was as full as his pocket, and not to be 
restrained. Thrusting his hand into the latter he 
hauled forth three or four broad gold pieces, and 
slipped them into her bosom. The poor woman stared 
with astonishment, and could not understand the 
meaning of this golden shower. Before she could 
recover her surprise, the little Gallego drew forth a 
chain of gold and dangled it before her, capering 
with exultation, his mouth distended from ear to ear. 

"Holy Virgin protect us!" exclaimed the wife. 
" What hast thou been doing, Peregil? surely thou 
hast not been committing murder and robbery ! " 

The idea scarce entered the brain of the poor 
woman, than it became a certainty with her. She saw 
a prison and a gallows in the distance, and a little 
bandy-legged Gallego hanging pendant from it ; and, 
overcome by the horrors conjured up by her imagina- 
tion, fell into violent hysterics. 

What could the poor man do? He had no other 
means of pacifying his wife, and dispelling the phan- 
toms of her fancy, than by relating the whole story of 
his good fortune. This, however, he did not do until 
he had exacted from her the most solemn promise to 
keep it a profound secret from every living being. 

To describe her joy would be impossible. She .- 
flung her arms round the neck of her husband, and ■^- 
almost strangled him with her caresses. " Now, 

99 




^>>. I, 







k 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



c^^. 







wife," exclaimed the little man with honest exultation, 
" what say you now to the Moor's legacy? Hence- 
forth never abuse me for helj)ing a fellow-creature in 
distress." 

The honest Gallego retired to his sheep-skin mat, 
and slept as soundly as if on a bed of down. Not so 
his wife ; she emptied the whole contents of his pock- 
ets upon the mat, and sat counting gold pieces of 
Arabic coin, trying on necklaces and earrings, and 
fancying the figure she should one day make when 
permitted to enjoy her riches. 

On the following morning the honest Gallego took 
a broad golden coin, and repaired with it to a jew- 
eller's shop in the Zacatin to offer it for sale, pretend- 
ing to have found it among the ruins of the Alhambra. 
The jeweller saw that it had an Arabic inscription, 
^^^- and was of the purest gold ; he offered, however, but 
a third of its value, with which the water-carrier was 
, #A*."£^W«-''t;'^ perfectly content. Peregil now bought new clothes 
for his little flock, and all kinds of toys together with 
ample provisions for a hearty meal, and returning to 
his dwelling, sat all his children dancing around him, 
while he capered in the midst, the happiest of fathers. 

The wife of the water-carrier kept her promise 
of secrecy with surprising strictness. For a whole day 
and a half she went about with a look of mystery and 
a heart swelling almost to bursting, yet she held her 
peace, though surrounded by her gossips. It is true, 

100 




,M*7«^><V^^a. ' 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



she could not help giving herself a few airs, apolo- 
gized for her ragged dress, and talked of ordering a 
new basquina all trimmed with gold lace and bugles, 
and new lace mantilla. She threw out hints of her 
husband's intention of leaving off his trade of water- 
carrjang, as it did not altogether agree with his health. 
In fact she thought they should all retire to the coun- 
try for the summer, that the children might have the 
benefit of the mountain air, for there was no living 
in the city in this sultry season. 

The neighbors stared at each other, and thought 
the poor woman had lost her wits; and her airs and 
graces and elegant pretensions were the theme of uni- 
versal scoffing and merriment among her friends, the 
moment her back was turned. 

If she restrained herself abroad, however, she in- 
demnified herself at home, and putting a string of 
rich oriental pearls round her neck, Moorish bracelets 
on her arms, and an aigrette of diamonds on her head, 
sailed backwards and forwards in her slattern rags 
about the room, now and then stopping to admire 
herself in a broken mirror. Nay, in the impulse of 
her simple vanity, she could not resist, on one occasion, 
showing herself at the window to enjoy the effect of 
her finery on the passers-by. 

As the fates would have it, Pedrillo Pedrugo, the 
meddlesome barber, was at this moment sitting, idly in 
his shop on the opposite side of the street, when his 

101 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



ever-watchful eye caught the sparkle of a diamond. 
In an instant he was at his loophole reconnoitering the 
slattern spouse of the water-carrier, decorated with 
the splendor of an eastern bride. No sooner had he 
taken an accurate inventory of her ornaments, than 
he posted off with all speed to the alcalde. In a little 
while the hungry alguazil was again on the scent, and 
before the day was over the unfortunate Peregil was 
once more dragged into the presence of the judge. 

"How is this, villain!" cried the alcalde, in a 
furious voice. " You told me that the infidel who died 
in j^our house left nothing behmd but an empty coffer, 
and now I hear your wife flaunting in her rags decked 
out with pearls and diamonds. Wretch that thou art! 
prepare to render up the spoils of thy miserable victim, 
and to swing on the gallows that is already tired of 
waiting for thee." 

iThe terrified water-carrier fell on his knees, and 
made a full relation of the marvellous manner in 
which he had gained his wealth. The alcalde, the 



alguazil, 




inquisitive barber, listened with 



greedy ears to this Arabian tale of enchanted treas- 
ure. The alguazil was dispatched to bring the IVIoor 
who had assisted in the incantation. The Moslem 
entered half frightened out of his wits at finding him- 
self in the hands of the harpies of the law. When he 
beheld the water-carrier standing with sheepish looks 
and downcast countenance, he comprehended the 

103 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



whole matter. " Miserable animal," said he, as he 
passed near him, " did I not warn thee against bab- 
bling to thy wife? " 

The story of the Moor coincided exactly with that 
of his colleague ; but the alcalde affected to be slow of 
belief, and threw out menaces of imprisonment and 
rigorous investigation. 

" Softly, good Senor Alcalde," said the Mussul- 
man, who by this time had recovered his usual shrewd- 
ness and self-possession. " Let us not mar fortune's 
favors in the scramble for them. Nobody knows any- 
thing of this matter but ourselves; let us keep the 
secret. There is wealth enough in the cave to enrich 
us all. Promise a fair division, and all shall be pro- 
duced; refuse, and the cave shall remain forever 
closed." 

The alcalde consulted apart with the alguazil. 
The latter was an old fox in his profession. " Prom- 
ise anything," said he, " until you get possession of the 
treasure. You may then seize upon the whole, and if 
he and his accomplice dare to murmur, threaten them 
with the fagot and the stake as infidels and sorcerers." 

The alcalde relished the advice. Smoothing his 
brow and turning to the Moor, " This is a strange 
story," said he, " and may be true, but I must have 
ocular proof of it. This very night you must repeat 
the incantation in my presence. If there be really such 
treasure, we will share it amicably between us, and 

103 








'■■•*^^^"" 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



r- 



\ - 







•n \ f) 






say nothing further of the matter; if ye have deceived 
me, expect no mercy at my hands. In the meantime 
you must remain in custody." 

The Moor and the water-carrier cheerfully agreed 
to these conditions, satisfied that the event would 
prove the truth of their words. 

Towards midnight the alcalde sallied forth se- 
cretly, attended by the alguazil and the meddlesome 
barber, all strongly armed. They conducted the JMoor 
and the water-carrier as prisoners, and were provided 
with the stout donkey of the latter to bear off the 
expected treasure. They arrived at the tower without 
being observed, and tying the donkey to a fig-tree, 
descended into the fourth vault of the tower. 

The scroll was produced, the yellow waxen taper 
lighted, and the Moor read the form of incantation. 
The earth trembled as before, and the pavement 
opened with a thundering sound, disclosing the nar- 
row flight of steps. The alcalde, the alguazil, and 
♦. -^^ the barber were struck aghast, and could not summon 
courage to descend. The Moor and the water-carrier 
entered the lower vault, and found the two Moors 
seated as before, silent and motionless. They removed 
two of the great jars, filled with golden coin and 
precious stones. The water-carrier bore them up one 
by one upon his shoulders, but though a strong-backed 
little man, and accustomed to carry burdens, he stag- 
gered beneath their weight, and found, when slung on 

104 

\ 




THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



each side of his donkey, they were as much as the 
animal could bear. 

" Let us be content for the present," said the 
Moor; " here is as much treasure as we can carry off 
without being perceived, and enough to make us all 
wealthy to our heart's desire." 

" Is there more treasure remaining behind? " de- 
manded the alcalde. 

" The greatest prize of all," said the Moor, " a 
huge coif er bound with bands of steel, and filled with 
pearls and precious stones." 

" Let us have up the coffer by all means," cried 
the grasping alcalde. 

*' I will descend for no more," said the Moor, 
doggedly; " enough is enough for a reasonable man 
— more is superfluous." 

" And I," said the water-carrier, " will bring up 
no further burden to break the back of my poor 
donkey." 

Finding commands, threats, and entreaties equally 
vain, the alcalde turned to his two adherents. " Aid 
me," said he, " to bring up the coffer, and its contents 
shall be divided between us." So saying he descended 
the steps, followed with trembling reluctance by the 
alguazil and the barber. 

No sooner did the Moor behold them fairly earthed 
than he extinguished the yellow taper; the pavement 
closed with its usual crash, and the three worthies re- 
mained buried in its womb. 

105 




..<»«"*■ 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




He then hastened up the different flights of steps, 
nor stopped until in the open air. The httle water- 
carrier followed him as fast as his short legs would 
permit. 

" What hast thou done? " cried Peregil, as soon 
as he could recover breath. " The alcalde and the 
other two are shut up in the vault." 

" It is the will of Allah! " said the Moor devoutly. 

" And will you not release them? " demanded the 
Gallego. 

" Allah forbid! " replied the Moor, smoothing his 
beard. "It is WTitten in the book of fate that they 
shall remain enchanted until some future adventurer 
arrive to break the charm. The will of God be done ! " 
So saying, he hurled the end of the waxen taper far 
among the gloomy thickets of the glen. 

There was now no remedy, so the Moor and the 
water-carrier proceeded with the richly laden donkey 
toward the city, nor could honest Peregil refrain from 
hugging and kissing his long-eared fellow-laborer, 
thus restored to him from the clutches of the law ; and 
in fact, it is doubtful which gave the simple hearted 
little man most joy at the moment, the gaining of the 
treasure, or the recovery of the donkey. 

The two partners in good luck divided their spoil 
amicably and fairly, except that the Moor, who had 
a little taste for trinketry, made out to get into his 
heap the most of the pearls and precious stones and 

106 



THE MOOR'S LEGACY 



other baubles, but then he always gave the water- 
carrier in lieu magnificent jewels of massy gold, of 
five times the size, with which the latter was heartily 
content. They took care not to linger within reach 
of accidents, but made off to enjoy their wealth un- 
disturbed in other countries. The Moor returned to 
Africa, to his native city of Tangiers, and the Gallego, 
with his wife, his children, and his donkey, made the 
best of his way to Portugal. Here, under the admoni- 
tion and tuition of his wife, he became a personage 
of some consequence, for she made the worthy little 
man array his long body and short legs in doublet and 
hose, with a feather in his hat and a sword by his side, 
and laying aside his f amihar appellation of Peregil, 
assume the more sonorous title of Don Pedro Gil: 
his progeny grew up a thriving and merry-hearted, 
though short and bandy-legged generation, while 
Seiiora Gil, befringed, belaced, and betasselled from 
her head to her heels, with glittering rings on every 
finger, became a model of slattern fashion and finery. 
As to the alcalde and his adjuncts, they remained 
shut up under the great tower of the seven floors, and 
there they remain spell-bound at the present day. 
Whenever there shall be a lack in Spain of pimping 
barbers, sharking alguazils, and corrupt alcaldes, they 
may be sought after; but if they have to wait until 
such time for their deliverance, there is danger of their 
enchantment enduring until doomsday. 

107 



^ 



>. 



^ 






iif-'"-"-'"-"^/ ") 








LEGEND OF THE 

THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



„.'^""%>, 







LEGEND OF THE 
THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 

In old times there reigned a Moorish king- in 
Granada, whose name was Mohamed, to which his 
subjects added the appellation of El Hayzari, or 
" The Left-handed." Some say he was so called on 
account of his being really more expert with his sinis- 
ter than his dexter hand ; others, because he was prone 
to take everything by the wrong end; or in other 
words, to mar wherever he meddled. Certain it is, 
either through misfortune or mismanagement, he was 
continually in trouble: thrice was he driven from his 
throne, and, on one occasion, barely escaped to Africa 
with his life, in the disguise of a fisherman.* Still he 
was as brave as he was blundering; and though left- 
handed, wielded his cimeter to such purpose, that he 
each time re-established himself upon his throne by 
dint of hard fighting. Instead, however, of learning 
wisdom from adversity, he hardened his neck, and 
stiffened his left arm in wilfulness. The evils of a 
public nature which he thus brought upon himself 
and his kingdom may be learned by those who will 

* The reader will recognize the sovereign connected with the 
fortunes of the Abencerrages. His story appears to be a little 

Actionized in the legend. 

Ill 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




delve into the Arabian annals of Granada; the present 
legend deals but with his domestic policy. 

As this Mohamed was one day riding forth with a 
train of his courtiers, by the foot of the mountain of 
Elvira, he met a band of horsemen returning from a 
foray into the land of the Christians. They were con- 
ducting a long string of mules laden with spoil, and 
many captives of both sexes, among whom the mon- 
arch was struck with the appearance of a beautiful 
damsel, richly attired, who sat weeping on a low pal- 
frey, and heeded not the consoling words of a duenna 
who rode beside her. 

The monarch was struck with her beauty, and, on 
inquiring of the captain of the troop, found that she 
was the daughter of the alcayde of a frontier fortress, 
that had been surprised and sacked in the course of 
the foray. Mohamed claimed her as his royal share of 
the booty, and had her conveyed to his harem in the 
Alhambra. There everything was devised to soothe 
her melancholy; and the monarch, more and more 
enamored, sought to make her his queen. The Span- 
ish maid at first repulsed his addresses — he was an 
infidel — he was the open foe of her country — what 
was worse, he was stricken in years ! 

The monarch, finding his assiduities of no avail, 
determined to enlist in his favor the duenna, who had 
been captured with the lady. She was an Andalusian 
by birth, whose Christian name is forgotten, being 

112 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



mentioned in Moorish legends by no other appellation 
than that of the discreet Kadiga — and discreet in truth 
she was, as her whole history makes evident. No 
sooner had the Moorish king held a little private con- 
versation with her, than she saw at once the cogency 
of his reasoning, and undertook liis cause with her 
young mistress. 

" Go to, now! " cried she; " what is there in all this 
to weep and wail about? Is it not better to be mistress 
of this beautiful palace, with all its gardens and foun- 
tains, than to be shut up within your father's old 
frontier tower? As to this Mohamed being an infidel, 
what is that to the purpose? You marry him, not his 
religion: and if he is waxing a little old, the sooner 
will you be a widow, and mistress of yourself; at any 
rate, you are in his power, and must either be a queen 
or a slave. When in the hands of a robber, it is better 
to sell one's merchandise for a fair price, than to have 
it taken by main force." 

The arguments of the discreet Kadiga prevailed. 
The Spanish lady dried her tears, and became the 
spouse of Mohamed the Left-handed; she even con- 
formed, in appearance, to the faith of her royal hus- 
band; and her discreet duenna immediately became a 
zealous convert to the Moslem doctrines: it was then 
the latter received the Arabian name of Kadiga, and 
was permitted to remain in the confidential employ 
of her mistress. 

8 113 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




In due process of time the Moorish king was made 
the proud and happy father of three lovely daughters, 
all born at a birth : he could have wished they had been 
sons, but consoled himself with the idea that three 
daughters at a birth were pretty well for a man some- 
what stricken in years, and left-handed ! 

As usual with all Moslem monarchs, he summoned 
his astrologers on this happy event. They cast the 
nativities of the three princesses, and shook their 
heads. " Daughters, O king! " said they, " are always 
precarious property; but these will most need your 
watchfulness when they arrive at a marriageable age; 
at that time gather them under your wings, and trust 
them to no other guardianship." 

Mohamed the Left-handed was acknowledged to 
be a wise king by his courtiers, and was certainly so 
considered by himself. The prediction of the astrolo- 
gers caused him but little disquiet, trusting to his in- 
genuity to guard his daughters and outwit the Fates. 

The three-fold birth was the last matrimonial 
trophy of the monarch; his queen bore him no more 
children, and died within a few years, bequeathing 
her infant daughters to his love, and to the fidelity of 
the discreet Kadiga. 

Man}'- years had yet to elapse before the princesses 
would arrive at that period of danger — the marriage- 
able age: "It is good, however, to be cautious in 
time," said the shrewd monarch; so he determined to 




mp'^'^- 




THEY HAD DELIGHTFUL C;a1;I>I \rt 1 OR THEIR RECREATION 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



have them reared in the royal castle of Salobrefia* 
This was a sumptuous palace, incrusted, as it were, in 
a powerful JVIoorish fortress on the summit of a hill 
overlooking the Mediterranean sea. It was a royal 
retreat, in which the Moslem monarchs shut up such 
of their relatives, as might endanger their safety; 
allowing them all kinds of luxuries and amusements, 
in the midst of which they passed their lives in volup- 
tuous indolence. 

Here the princesses remained, immured from the 
world, but surrounded by enjoyment, and attended 
by female slaves who anticipated their wishes. They 
had delightful gardens for their recreation, filled with 
the rarest fruits and flowers, with aromatic groves and 
perfumed baths. On tlu'ee sides the castle looked 
down upon a rich valley, enamelled with all kinds of 
culture, and bounded by the lofted Alpuxarra moun- 
tains ; on the other side it overlooked the broad sunny 



sea. 



In this delicious abode, in a propitious climate, and 
under a cloudless sky, the three princesses grew up 
into wondrous beauty; but, though all reared alike, 
they gave earh^ tokens of diversity of character. 
Their names were Zayda, Zorayda, and Zorahayda; 
and such was their order of seniority, for there had 
been preciselj^ three minutes between their births. 

Zaj^da, the eldest, was of an intrepid spirit, and ilS 
took the lead of her sisters in everything, as she had i':-:-;V\l! 

115 =5.ii:li§i 






LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







done in entering into the world. She was curious and 
inquisitive, and fond of getting at the bottom of 
things. 

Zorayda had a great feehng for beauty, which was 
the reason, no doubt, of her dehghting to regard her 
own image in a mirror or a fountain, and of her fond- 
ness for flowers, and jewels, and other tasteful orna- 
ments. 

As to Zorahayda, the youngest, she was soft and 
timid, and extremely sensitive, with a vast deal of 
disposable tenderness, as was evident from her num- 
^d^^^i^^^' ber of 2)et-flowers, and pet-birds, and pet-animals, all 
of which she cherished with the fondest care. Her 
amusements, too, were of a gentle nature, and mixed 
up with musing and reverie. She would sit for hours 
in a balcony, gazing on the sparkling stars of a sum- 
mer's night; or on the sea when lit up by the moon; 
and at such times, the song of a fisherman, faintly 
heard from the beach, or the notes of a Moorish flute 
from some gliding bark, sufficed to elevate her feel- 
ings into ecstasy. The least uproar of the elements, 
however, filled her with dismay; and a clap of thun- 
der was enough to throw her into a swoon. 

Years rolled on smoothly and serenely; the dis- 
creet Kadiga, to whom the princesses were confided, 
was faithful to her trust, and attended them with 
unremitting care. 

The castle of Salobrena, as has been said, was 

116 




••»?*¥^/^ 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



built upon a hill on the sea-coast. One of the exterior 
walls straggled down the profile of the hill, until it 
reached a jutting rock overhanging the sea, with a 
narrow sandy beach at its foot, laved by the rippling 
billows. A small watchtower on this rock had been 
fitted up as a pavilion, with latticed windows to admit \^, 
the sea-breeze. Here the princesses used to pass the 
sultry hours of mid-day. 

The curious Zayda was one day seated at a window 
of the pavilion, as her sisters, reclining on ottomans, 
were taking the siesta or noontide slumber. Her 
attention was attracted to a galley which came coast- 
insr along-, with measured strokes of the oar. As it ^^ 



drew near, she observed that it was filled with armed *'' 
men. The galley anchored at the foot of the tower: a 
number of Moorish soldiers landed on the narrow 
beach, conducting several Christian prisoners. The 
curious Zayda awakened her sisters, and all three 
peeped cautiously through the close jalousies of the 
lattice which screened them from sight. Among the 
prisoners were three Spanish cavaliers, richly dressed. 
They were in the flower of youth, and of noble pres- 
ence; and the lofty manner in which they carried 
themselves, though loaded with chains and surrounded 
with enemies, bespoke the grandeur of their souls. 
The princesses gazed with intense and breathless inter- 
est. Cooped up as they had been in this castle among 
female attendants, seeing nothing of the male sex but 

iir 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



C^^ 




/r^^. 



t 













black slaves, or the rude fishermen of the sea-coast, it 
is not to be wondered at that the appearance of three 
gallant cavaliers, in the pride of youth and manly 
beauty, should produce some commotion in their 
bosom. 

" Did ever nobler being tread the earth than that 
cavalier in crimson? " cried Zayda, the eldest of the 
sisters. " See how proudly he bears himself, as though 
all around him were his slaves! " 

"But notice that one in green!" exclaimed Zo- 
rayda. " What grace ! what elegance ! what spirit ! " 

The gentle Zorahayda said nothing, but she se- 
cretly gave preference to the cavalier in blue. 

The princesses remained gazing until the prisoners 
were out of sight; then heaving long-drawn sighs, 
they turned round, looked at each other for a moment, 
and sat down, musing and pensive, on their ottomans. 

The discreet Kadiga found them in this situation ; 
they related what they had seen, and even the withered 
heart of the duenna was warmed. " Poor youths! " 
exclaimed she, " I'll warrant their captivity makes 
many a fair and high-born lady's heart ache in their 
native land ! Ah ! my children, you have little idea of 
the life these cavaliers lead in their o^\ti country. 
Such prankling at tournaments ! such devotion to the 
ladies! such courting and serenading! " 

The curiosity of Zayda was fulty aroused; she 
was insatiable in her inquiries, and drew from the 

118 



k^. 






&\-'' 






'WiiWm 






THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



duenna the most animated pictures of the scenes of 
her youthful days and native land. The beautiful 
Zorayda bridled up, and slyly regarded herself in a 
mirror, M'hen the theme turned upon the charms of the 
Spanish ladies; while Zorahayda suppressed a strug- 
gling sigh at the mention of moonlight serenades. 

Every day the curious Zayda renewed her inqui- 
ries, and every day the sage duenna repeated her 
stories, which were listened to with profound interest, 
though with frequent sighs, by her gentle auditors. 
The discreet old woman awoke at length to the mis- 
chief she might be doing. She had been accustomed 
to think of the princesses only as children; but they 
had imperceptibly ripened beneath her eye, and now 
bloomed before her three lovely damsels of the mar- 
riageable age. It is time, thought the duenna, to give 
notice to the king. 

Mohamed the Left-handed was seated one morn- 
ing on a divan in a cool hall of the Alhambra, when 
a slave arrived from the fortress of Salobrena, with a 
message from the sage Kadiga, congratulating him 
on the anniversary of his daughters' birthday. The 
slave at the same time ]3resented a delicate little basket 
decorated with flowers, within which, on a couch of 
vine and fig-leaves, lay a peach, an apricot, and a nec- 
tarine, with their bloom and down and dewy sweetness 
upon them, and all in the early stage of tempting ripe- 
ness. The monarch was versed in the Oriental lan- 

119 




m 



-«r. 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



r^ 







guage of fruits and flowers, and rapidly divined the 
meaning of this emblematical offering. 

" So," said he, " the critical period pointed out by 
the astrologers is arrived: my daughters are at a 
marriageable age. What is to be done? They are 
shut up from the eyes of men; they are under the 
eyes of the discreet Kadiga — all very good, — but still 
they are not under my own eye, as was prescribed by 
the astrologers: I must gather them under my wing, 
and trust to no other guardianship." 

So saying, he ordered that a tower of the Alham- 
bra should be prepared for their reception, and de- 
parted at the head of his guards for the fortress of 
Salobrena, to conduct them home in person. 

About three years had elapsed since Mohamed had 
beheld his daughters, and he could scarcely credit his 
eyes at the wonderful change which that small space 
of time had made in their appearance. During the 
interval, they had passed that wondrous boundary 
line in female life which separates the cnide, un- 
formed, and thoughtless girl from the blooming, 
blushing, meditative woman. It is like passing from 
the flat, bleak, uninteresting plains of La Mancha 
to the voluptuous valleys and swelling hills of Anda- 
lusia. 

Zayda was tall and finely formed, with a lofty 
demeanor and a penetrating eye. She entered with a 
^fS stately and decided step, and made a profound rev- 
ise 




THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



erence to Mohamed, treating him more as her sov- 
ereign than her father. Zorayda was of the middle 
height, with an alluring look and swimming gait, and 
a sparkling beauty, heightened by the assistance of 
the toilette. She approached her father with a smile, 
kissed his hand, and saluted him with several stanzas 
from a popular Arabian poet, with which the monarch 
was delighted. Zorahayda was shy and timid, smaller 
than her sisters, and with a beauty of that tender 
beseeching kind which looks for fondness and protec- 
tion. She was little fitted to command, like her elder 
sister, or to dazzle like the second, but was rather 
formed to creep to the bosom of manly affection, to 
nestle within it, and be content. She drew near to her 
father, with a timid and almost faltering step, and 
would have taken his hand to kiss, but on looking up 
into his face, and seeing it beaming with a paternal 
smile, the tenderness of her nature broke forth, and 
she threw herself upon his neck. 

Mohamed the Left-handed surveyed his blooming 
daughters with mingled pride and perplexity; for 
while he exulted in their charms, he bethought himself 
of the prediction of the astrologers. " Three daugh- 
ters ! three daughters ! " muttered he repeatedly to 
himself, " and all of a marriageable age ! Here's 
tempting Hesperian fruit, that requires a dragon 
watch!" 

He prepared for his return to Granada, by send- 



121 




/^^'■r:,: 







!£^ 




'• /^^^ a! f^ i^ 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



^r^iif 




ing heralds before him, commanding every one to 
keep out of the road by which he was to pass, and 
that all doors and windows should be closed at the 
apx^roach of the princesses. This done, he set forth, 
escorted by a troop of black horsemen of hideous 
aspect, and clad in shining armor. 

The princesses rode beside the king, closely veiled, 
on beautiful white palfreys, with velvet caparisons, 
embroidered with gold, and sweeping the ground; 
the bits and stirrups were of gold, and the silken 
bridles adorned with pearls and precious stones. The 
palfreys were covered with little silver bells, which 
made the most musical tinkling as they ambled gently 
along. Woe to the unlucky wight, however, who 
lingered in the way when he heard the tinkling of 
these bells ! — the guards were ordered to cut him down 
without mercy. 

The cavalcade was drawing near to Granada, 
when it overtook on the banks of the river Xenil, a 
small body of INIoorish soldiers with a convoy of 
prisoners. It was too late for the soldiers to get out 
of the way, so they threw themselves on their faces on 
the earth, ordering their captives to do the like. 
Among the prisoners were the three identical cavaliers 
whom the princesses had seen from the pavilion. They 
either did not understand, or were too haughty to obey 
the order, and remained standing and gazing upon 
the cavalcade as it approached. 

122 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



The ire of the monarch was kindled at this flagrant 
defiance of his orders. Drawing his cimeter, and 
pressing forward, he was about to deal a left-handed 
blow that might have been fatal to, at least, one of 
the gazers, when the princesses crowded round him, 
and implored mercy for the prisoners ; even the timid 
Zorahayda forgot her shyness, and became eloquent in 
their behalf. Mohamed paused, with uplifted cime- 
ter, when the captain of the guard threw himself at 
his feet. " Let not your highness," said he, " do a 
deed that may cause great scandal throughout the 
kingdom. These are three brave and noble Spanish 
knights, who have been taken in battle, fighting like 
lions; they are of high birth, and may bring great 
ransoms." — " Enough! " said the king. " I will spare 
their lives, but punish their audacity — ^let them be 
taken to the Vermilion Towers, and put to hard 
labor." 

JNIohamed was making one of his usual left-handed 
blunders. In the tumult and agitation of this bluster- 
ing scene, the veils of the three princesses had been 
thrown back, and the radiance of their beauty re- 
vealed; and in prolonging the parley, the king had 
given that beauty time to have its full effect. In those 
days people fell in love much more suddenly than at 
present, as all ancient stories make manifest : it is not 
a matter of wonder, therefore, that the hearts of the 
three cavaliers were completely captured; especially 

123 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



''P'lyinn^. 



pltrnrt'tlt 




as gratitude was added to their admiration, it is a 
little singular, however, though no less certain, that 
each of them was enraptured with a several beauty. 
As to the princesses, they were more than ever struck 
with the noble demeanor of the captives, and cherished 
in their breasts all that they had heard of their valor 
and noble lineage. 

The cavalcade resumed its march; the three prin- 
cesses rode pensively along on their tinkling palfreys, 
now and then stealing a glance behind in search of the 
Christian captives, and the latter were conducted to 
their allotted prison in the Vermilion Towers. 

The residence provided for the princesses was one 
of the most dainty that fancy could devise. It was in 
a tower somewhat apart from the main palace of the 
Alhambra, though connected with it by the wall which 
encircled the whole summit of the hill. On one side 
it looked into the interior of the fortress, and had, at 
its foot, a small garden filled with the rarest flowers. 
On the other side it overlooked a deep embowered 
ravine separating the grounds of the Alliambra from 
those of the Generalife. The interior of the tower 
was divided into small fairy apartments, beautifully 
ornamented in the light Arabian style, surrounding a 
lofty hall, the vaulted roof of which rose almost to the 
summit of the tower. The walls and the ceilings of 
the hall were adorned with arabesque and fretwork, 
sparkling with gold and with brilliant penciling. In 



124 






THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



the centre of the marble pavement was an alabaster 
fountain, set romid with aromatic shrubs and flowers, 
and throwing up a jet of water that cooled the whole 
edifice and had a lulling sound. Round the hall were 
suspended cages of gold and silver wire, containing 
singing-birds of the finest plumage or sweetest note. 

The princesses had been represented as always 
cheerful when in the castle of the Salobrena ; the king 
had expected to see them enraptured with the Alham- 
bra. To his surprise, however, they began to pine, 
and grow melancholy, and dissatisfied with every- 
thing around them. The flowers yielded them no 
fragrance, the song of the nightingale disturbed their 
night's rest, and they were out of all patience with 
the alabaster fountain with its eternal drop-drop and 
splash-splash, from morning tiU night, and from night 
till morning. 

The king, who was somewhat of a testy, tyrannical 
disposition, took this at first in high dudgeon ; but he 
reflected that his daughters had arrived at an age when 
the female mind expands and its desires augment. 
" They are no longer children," said he to himself, 
" they are women grown, and require suitable objects 
to interest them." He put in requisition, therefore, 
all the dressmakers, and the jewellers, and the artifi- 
cers in gold and silver tliroughout the Zacatin of 
Granada, and the princesses were overwhelmed with 
robes of silk, and tissue, and brocade, and cashmere 







125 






t 



■> 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




shawls, and necklaces of pearls and diamonds, and 
rings, and bracelets, and anklets, and all manner of 
precious things. 

All, however, was of no avail; the princes?c« con- 
tinued pale and languid in the midst of their finery, 
and looked like three blighted rose-buds, drooping 
from one stalk. The king was at his wits' end. He 
had in general a laudable confidence in his own judg- 
ment, and never took advice. " The whims and 
caprices of three marriageable damsels, however, are 
sufficient," said he, " to puzzle the shrewdest head." 
So for once in his life he called in the aid of counsel. 

The person to whom he applied was the experi- 
enced duenna. 

" Kadiga," said the king, " I know you to be one 
of the most discreet women in the whole world, as well 
as one of the most trustworthy; for these reasons I 
have always continued you about the persons of my 
daughters. Fathers cannot be too wary in whom they 
repose such confidence; I now wish you to find out 
the secret malady that is preying upon the princesses, 
and to devise some means of restoring them to health 
and cheerfulness." 

Kadiga promised implicit obedience. In fact she 
knew more of the malady of the princesses than they 
did themselves. Shutting herself up with them, how- 
ever, she endeavored to insinuate herself into their 
confidence. 

126 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



" My dear children, what is the reason you are so 
dismal and downcast in so beautiful a place, where 
you have everything that heart can wish? " 

The princesses looked vacantly round the apart- 
ment, and sighed. 

" What more, then, would you have? Shall I get 
you the wonderful parrot that talks all languages, and 
is the delight of Granada? " 

"Odious!" exclaimed the princess Zayda. "A 
hoiTid, screaming bird, that chatters words without 
ideas: one must be without brains to tolerate such a 
pest." 

" Shall I send for a monkey from the rock of 
Gibraltar, to divert you with his antics? " 

" A monkey! faugh! " cried Zorayda; " the detest- 
able mimic of man. I hate the nauseous animal." 

" What say you to the famous black singer Casem, 
from the royal harem, in Morocco? They say he has 
a voice as fine as a woman's." 

" I am terrified at the sight of these black slaves," 
said the delicate Zorahayda; " besides, I have lost all 
relish for music." 

" Ah! my child, you would not say so," replied the 
old woman, slyly, " had you heard the music I heard 
last evening from the three Spanish cavaliers, whom 
we met on our j ourney . But, bless me, children ! what 
is the matter that you blush so, and are in such a 
flutter?" 

197 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



" Nothing, nothing, good mother; pray proceed." 

" Well ; as I was passing by the Vermilion Towers 
last evening, I saw the three cavaliers resting after 
their day's labor. One was playing on the guitar, so 
gracefully, and the others sang by turns ; and they did 
it in such style, that the very guards seemed like 
statues, or men enchanted. Allah forgive me! I 
could not help being moved at hearing the songs of 
my native country. And then to see three such noble 
and handsome youths in chains and slavery! " 

Here the kind-hearted old woman could not re- 
strain her tears. 

" Perhaps, mother, you could manage to procure 
us a sight of these cavaliers," said Zayda. 

" I think," said Zorayda, " a little music would be 
quite reviving." 

The timid Zorahayda said nothing, but threw her 
arms round the neck of Kadiga. 

"Mercy on me!" exclaimed the discreet old 
woman; "what are you talking of, my children? 
Your father would be the death of us all if he heard of 
such a thing. To be sure, these cavaliers are evidently 
well-bred, and high-minded youths; but what of that? 
they are the enemies of our faith, and you must not 
even think of them but with abhorrence." 

There is an admirable intrepidity in the female 
^ ^' will, particularly when about the marriageable age, 
^^~* which is not to be deterred by dangers and prohibi- 








THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



tions. The princesses hung round their old duenna, 
and coaxed, and entreated, and declared that a refusal 
would break their hearts. 

What could she do? She was certainly the most 
discreet old woman in the whole world, and one of 
the most faithful servants to the king; but was she to 
see three beautiful princesses break their hearts for 
the mere tinkling of a guitar? Besides, though she 
had been so long among the Moors, and changed her 
faith in imitation of her mistress, like a trusty fol- 
lower, yet she was a Spaniard born, and had the 
lingerings of Christianity in her heart. So she set 
about to contrive how the wish of the princesses might 
be gratified. 

The Christian captives, confined in the Vermilion 
Towers, were under the charge of a big-whiskered, 
broad-shouldered renegado, called Hussein Baba, who 
was reputed to have a most itching palm. She went 
to him privately, and slipping a broad piece of gold 
into his hand, " Hussein Baba," said she; " my mis- 
tresses, the three princesses, who are shut up in the 
tower, and in sad want of amusement, have heard of 
the musical talents of the three Spanish cavaliers, and 
are desirous of hearing a specimen of their skill. I 
am sure you are too kind-hearted to refuse them so 
innocent a gratification." 

" What! and to have my head set grinning over , 
the gate of mj^ own tower! for that would be the jk_ 
reward, if the king should discover it." 

9 129 








LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



««^-. 










" No danger of anything of the kind ; the affair 
may be managed so that the whim of the princesses 
may be gratified, and their father be never the wiser. 
You know the deep ravine outside of the walls which 
passes immediately below the tower. Put the three 
Christians to work there, and at the intervals of their 
labor, let them play and sing, as if for their own 
recreation. In this way the princesses will be able to 
hear them from the windows of the tower, and you 
may be sure of their paying well for your compliance." 

As the good old woman concluded her harangue, 
she kindly pressed the rough hand of the renegado, 
and left within it another piece of gold. 

Her eloquence was irresistible. The very next day 
the three cavaliers were put to work in the ravine. 
During the noontide heat, when their fellow-laborers 
./^.^^^were sleeping in the shade, and the guard nodding 
X. drowsily at his post, they seated themselves among 

^rT„M!„'V.>'-''''„'vt^^ herbage at the foot of the tower, and sang a 
Spanish roundelay to the accompaniment of the 
guitar. 

The glen was deep, the tower was high, but their 
voices rose distinctly in the stillness of the summer 
noon. The princesses listened from their balcony; 
they had been taught the Spanish language by their 
duenna, and were moved by the tenderness of the 
song. The discreet Kadiga, on the contrary, was 
terribly shocked. " Allah preserve us ! " cried she, 

130 




THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



**they are singing a love-ditty, addressed to your- 
selves. Did ever mortal hear of such audacity? I 
will run to the slave-master, and have them soundly 
bastinadoed." 

" What! bastinado such gallant cavaliers, and for 
singing so charmingly!" The three beautiful prin- 
cesses were filled with horror at the idea. With all 
her virtuous indignation, the good old woman was of 
a placable nature, and easily appeased. Besides, the 
music seemed to have a beneficial effect upon her 
young mistresses. A rosy bloom had already come to 
their cheeks, and their eyes began to sparkle. She ^ ^^ 
made no further objection, therefore, to the amorous %H 
ditty of the cavaliers. "*" 

When it was finished, the princesses remained 
silent for a time; at length Zorayda took up a lute, 
and with a sweet, though faint and trembling voice, 
warbled a little Arabian air, the burden of which was, 
" The rose is concealed among her leaves, but she 
hstens with dehght to the song of the nightingale." 

From this time forward the cavaliers worked 
almost daily in the ravine. The considerate Hussein 
Baba became more and more indulgent, and daily 
more prone to sleep at his post. For some time a 
vague intercourse was kept up by popular songs and 
romances, which, in some measure, responded to each 
other, and breathed the feelings of the parties. By 
degrees the princesses showed themselves at the bal- 




131 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



•0 r^\ 



"V* 






it? 



cony, when they could do so without being perceived 
by the guards. They conversed with the cavaliers 
also, by means of flowers, wdth the s\Tnbolical lan- 
guage of which they were mutually acquainted: the 
difficulties of their intercourse added to its charms, 
and strengthened the passion they had so singularly 
conceived; for love delights to struggle with difficul- 
ties, and thrives the most hardih^ on the scantiest soil. 

The change effected in the looks and spirits of the 
princesses by this secret intercourse surprised and 
gratified the Left-handed king ; but no one was more 
elated than the discreet Kadiga, who considered it all 
OTs-ing to her able management. 

At length there was an interruption in this tele- 
graphic correspondence : for several days the cavaliers 
ceased to make their appearance in the glen. The 
princesses looked out from the tower in vain. In vain 
they stretched their swan-like necks from the balcony ; 
in vain they sang like captive nightingales in their 
cage : nothing was to be seen of their Christian lovers ; 
not a note responded from the groves. The discreet 
Kadiga sallied forth in quest of intelligence, and soon 
returned with a face full of trouble. " Ah, my chil- 
dren! " cried she, " I saw what all tliis would come to, 
but you would have your way ; you may now hang up 
your lutes on the willows. The Spanish cavahers are 
ransomed by their families ; they are do-svn in Granada, 
and preparing to return to their native country." 

132 



•^ 




^3 ^ 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



The three beautiful princesses were in despair at 
the tidings. Zayda was indignant at the shght put 
upon them, in thus being deserted without a parting 
word. Zorayda TVTung her hands and cried, and 
looked in the glass, and mped away her tears, and 
cried afresh. The gentle Zorahayda leaned over the 
balcony and wept in silence, and her tears f eU drop by 
drop among the flowers of the bank where the faithless 
cavaliers had so often been seated. 

The discreet Kadiga did all in her power to soothe 
their sorrow. " Take comfort, my children," said 
she, " this is nothing when you are used to it. This 
is the way of the world. Ah ! when you are as old as 
I am, you will know how to value these men. I'll 
warrant these cavaliers have their loves among the 
Spanish beauties of Cordova and Seville, and will soon 
be serenading under their balconies, and thinking no 
more of the JNIoorish beauties in the Alliambra. Take 
comfort, therefore, my children, and drive them from 
your hearts." 

The comforting words of the discreet Kadiga only 
redoubled the distress of the tliree princesses, and for 
two days thej^ continued inconsolable. On the morn- 
ing of the third, the good old woman entered their 
apartment, all ruffling with indignation. 

" Who would have believed such insolence in mor- 
tal man!" exclaimed she, as soon as she could find 
words to express herself; "but I am rightly serv^ed 

133 



^T^-'-^ 








'^fr*^^^ 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

for having connived at this deception of your worthy- 
father. Never talk more to me of your Spanish 
cavaliers." 

"Why, what has happened, good Kadiga?" ex- 
claimed the princesses in breathless anxiety. 

"What has happened? — treason has happened! 
or what is almost as bad, treason has been proposed; 
and to me, the most faithful of subjects, the trustiest 
of duennas ! Yes, my children, the Spanish cavaliers 
have dared to tamper with me, that I should persuade 
you to fly with them to Cordova, and become their 
wives ! " 

Here the excellent old woman covered her face 
with her hands, and gave way to a violent burst of 
grief and indignation. The three beautiful prin- 
cesses turned pale and red, and trembled, and 
looked down, and cast shy looks at each other, but 
^. . said nothing. Meantime, the old woman sat rocking 

"^N backward and forward in violent agitation, and now 
♦ s^ and then breaking out into exclamations, " That ever 
«) . / !' I should live to be so insulted! — I, the most faithful 
,'^ of servants! " 

^'.'' ^. ' At length, the eldest princess, who had most spirit 

^ ' _ J^r and always took the lead, approached her, and laying 
(^ ?L-j^^?^K l^^r hand upon her shoulder, " Well, mother," said 
PP^"^' &^ W ^^^» "supposing we were willing to fly with these 
«»«;«sj;s;s;>.'^^ 1>^^ Christian cavaliers — is such a thing possible? " 
■^-^0, ^ \ r;^"&fl The good old woman paused suddenly in her grief, 

'-^--^^3 j^-^'% _ 134 





THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



and looking up, " Possible," echoed she; " to be sure, 
it is possible. Have not the cavaliers already bribed 
Hussein Baba, the renegado captain of the guard, 
and arranged the whole plan? But, then, to think of 
deceiving your father! your father, who has placed 
such confidence in me ! " Here the worthy woman 
gave way to a fresh burst of grief, and began again 
to rock backward and forward, and to wring her 
hands. 

" But our father has never placed any confidence 
in us," said the eldest princess, " but has trusted to 
bolts and bars, and treated us as captives." 

" Why, that is true enough," replied the old 
woman, again pausing in her grief; " he has indeed 
treated you most unreasonably, keeping you shut up 
here, to waste your bloom in a moping old tower, like 
roses left to wither in a flower- jar. But, then, to fly 
from your native land! " 

" And is not the land we fly to, the native land of 
our mother, where we shall live in freedom? And 
shall we not each have a youthful husband in exchange 
for a severe old father ? " 

" Why, that again is all very true ; and your 
father, I must confess, is rather tyrannical : but what 
then," relapsing into her grief, " would you leave me 
behind to bear the brunt of his vengeance? " 

" B}^ no means, my good Kadiga; cannot you fly 
with us? " 

135 




*»*>»i' 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




" Very true, my child; and, to tell the truth, when 
I talked the matter over with Hussein Baba, he 
promised to take care of me, if I would accompany 
you in your flight : but then, bethink you, my children, 
are you willing to renounce the faith of your father? " 

" The Christian faith was the original faith of our 
mother," said the eldest princess ; " I am ready to 
embrace it, and so, I am sure, are my sisters." 

" Right again," exclaimed the old woman, bright- 
ening up ; " it was the original faith of your mother, 
and bitterly did she lament, on her death-bed, that she 
had renounced it. I promised her then to take care 
of your souls, and I rejoice to see that they are now 
in a fair way to be saved. Yes, my children, I, too, 
was born a Christian, and have remained a Christian 
in my heart, and am resolved to return to the faith. 
I have talked on the subject with Hussein Baba, who 
is a Spaniard by birth, and comes from a place not 
far from my native town. He is equally anxious to 
see his own country, and to be reconciled to the church ; 
and the cavaliers have promised, that, if we are dis- 
posed to become man and wife, on returning to our 
native land, they will provide for us handsomely." 

In a word, it appeared that this extremely discreet 
and provident old woman had consulted with the cava- 
liers and the renegado, and had concerted the whole 
plan of escape. The eldest princess immediately 
assented to it ; and her example, as usual, determined 

136 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



the conduct of her sisters. It is true, the youngest 
hesitated, for she was gentle and timid of soul, and 
there was a struggle in her bosom between filial feel- 
ing and youthful passion: the latter, however, as 
usual, gained the victory, and with silent tears, and 
stifled sighs, she prepared herself for flight. 

The rugged hill, on which the Alhambra is built, 
was, in old times, perforated with subterranean pas- 
sages, cut through the rock, and leading from the 
fortress to various parts of the city, and to distant 
sally-ports on the banks of the Darro and the Xenil. 
They had been constructed at different times by the 
Moorish kings, as means of escape from sudden insur- 
rections, or of secretly issuing forth on private enter- 
prises. Many of them are now entirely lost, while 
others remain, partly choked with rubbish and partly 
walled up; monuments of the jealous precautions and 
warlike stratagems of the Moorish government. By 
one of these passages, Hussein Baba had undertaken 
to conduct the princesses to a sally-port beyond the 
walls of the city, where the cavaliers were to be ready 
with fleet steeds, to bear the whole party over the 
borders. 

The appointed night arrived: the tower of the 
princesses had been locked up as usual, and the 
Alhambra was buried in deep sleep. Towards mid- 
night, the discreet Kadiga listened from the balcony 
of a window that looked into the garden. Hussein 

137 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Baba, the renegado, was already below, and gave the 
appointed signal. The duenna fastened the end of a 
ladder of ropes to the balcony, lowered it into the 
garden and descended. The two eldest princesses 
followed her with beating hearts ; but when it came to 
the turn of the youngest princess, Zorahayda, she hesi- 
tated, and trembled. Several times she ventured a 
delicate little foot upon the ladder, and as often drew 
it back, while her poor little heart fluttered more and 
more the longer she delayed. She cast a wistful look 
back into the silken chamber; she had lived in it, to be 
sure, like a bird in a cage ; but within it she was secure ; 
who could tell what dangers might beset her, should 
she flutter forth into the wide world! Now she be- 
thought her of her gallant Christian lover, and her 
little foot was instantly upon the ladder; and anon 
she thought of her father, and slirank back. But 
fruitless is the attempt to describe the conflict in the 
bosom of one so young and tender and loving ; but so 
timid, and so ignorant of the world. 

In vain her sisters implored, the duenna scolded, 
and the renegado blasphemed beneath the balcony; 
the gentle little Moorish maid stood doubting and 
wavering on the verge of elopement; tempted by the 
sweetness of the sin, but terrified at its perils. 

Every moment increased the danger of discover}^. 
A distant tramp was heard. " The patrols are walk- 
ing their rounds," cried the renegado ; "if we linger, 

138 



>.^rx 



X 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



we perish. Princess, descend instantly, or we leave 

you." 

Zoraliayda was for a moment in fearful agitation ; 
then loosening the ladder of ropes, with desperate 
resolution, she flung it from the balcony. 

" It is decided! " cried she: " flight is now out of 
my power! Allah guide and bless ye, my dear 
sisters ! " 

The two eldest princesses were shocked at the 
thoughts of leaving her behind, and would fain have 
lingered, but the patrol was advancing; the renegado 
was furious, and they were hurried away to the sub- 
terraneous passage. They groped their way through 
a fearful labyrinth, cut through the heart of the 
mountain, and succeeded in reaching, undiscovered, 
an iron gate that opened outside of the walls. The 
Spanish cavaliers were waiting to receive them, dis- 
guised as Moorish soldiers of the guard, commanded 
by the renegado. 

The lover of Zorahayda was frantic, when he 
learned that she had refused to leave the tower; but 
there was no time to waste in lamentations. The two 
princesses were placed behind their lovers, the discreet 
Kadiga mounted behind the renegado, and they all 
set off at a round pace in the direction of the Pass of 
Lope, which leads through the mountains towards 
Cordova. 

They had not proceeded far when they heard the 

139 



Jj'^ 



^ -^^ I y 




:>- '«_, 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




noise of drums and trumpets from the battlements 
of the Alhambra. 

" Our flight is discovered! " said the renegado. 

" We have fleet steeds, the night is dark, and we 
may distance all pursuit," replied the cavaliers. 

They put spurs to their horses, and scoured across 
the Vega. They attained the foot of the mountain of 
Elvira, which stretches like a promontory into the 
plain. The renegado paused and listened. " As yet," 
said he, *' there is no one on our traces, we shall make 
good our escape to the mountains." While he spoke, 
a light blaze sprang up on the top of the watchtower 
of the Alhambra. 

" Confusion! " cried the renegado, " that bale fire 
will put all the guards of the passes on the alert. 
Away! away! Spur like mad, — there is no time to 
be lost." 

Away they dashed — the clattering of their horses' 
hoofs echoed from rock to rock, as they swept along 
the road that skirts the rocky mountain of Elvira. 
As they galloped on, the bale fire of the Alhambra 
was answered in every direction; light after light 
blazed on the Atalayas, or watchtowers of the moun- 
tains. 

"Forward! forward!" cried the renegado, with 
many an oath, " to the bridge, — to the bridge, before 
the alarm has reached there! " 

They doubled the promontory of the mountains, 

140 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 



and arrived in sight of the famous Bridge of Pinos, 
that crosses a rushing stream often dyed with Chris- 
tian and Moslem blood. To their confusion, the tower 
on the bridge blazed with lights and glittered with 
armed men. The renegado pulled up his steed, rose 
in his stirrups and looked about him for a moment; 
then beckoning to the cavaliers, he struck off from 
the road, skirted the river for some distance, and 
dashed into its waters. The cavaliers called upon the 
princesses to cling to them, and did the same. They 
were borne for some distance down the rapid current, 
the surges roared round them, but the beautiful prin- 
cesses clung to their Christian Imights, and never 
uttered a complaint. The cavaliers attained the oppo- 
site bank in safety, and were conducted by the rene- 
gado, by rude and unfrequented paths, and wild bar- 
rancos, through the heart of the mountains, so as to 
avoid all the regular passes. In a word, they suc- 
ceeded in reaching the ancient city of Cordova; where 
their restoration to their country and friends was cele- 
brated with great rejoicings, for they were of the 
noblest families. The beautiful princesses were forth- 
with received into the bosom of the Church, and, after 
being in all due form made regular Christians, were 
rendered happy wives. 

In our hurry to make good the escape of the 
princesses across the river, and up the mountains, we 
forgot to mention the fate of the discreet Kadiga. 



141 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



She had clung like a cat to Hussein Baba in the 
scamper across the Vega, screaming at every bound, 
and drawing many an oath from the whiskered rene- 
gado; but when he prepared to plunge his steed into 
the river, her terror knew no bounds. " Grasp me not 
so tightly," cried Hussein Baba; " hold on by my belt 
and fear nothing." She held firmly with both hands 
by the leathern belt that girded the broad-backed 
renegado; but when he halted with the cavaliers to 
take breath on the mountain summit, the duenna was 
no longer to be seen. 

" What has become of Kadiga? " cried the prin- 
cesses in alarm. 

" Allah alone knows! " replied the renegado; " my 
belt came loose when in the midst of the river, and 
Kadiga was swept with it down the stream. The will 
of Allah be done ! but it was an embroidered belt, and 
of great price." 

There was no time to waste in idle regrets; yet 
bitterly did the princesses bewail the loss of their dis- 
creet counsellor. That excellent old woman, however, 
did not lose more than half of her nine lives in the 
water: a fisherman, who was drawing his nets some 
distance down the stream, brought her to land, and 
was not a little astonished at his miraculous draught. 
What further became of the discreet Kadiga, the 
legend does not mention ; certain it is that she evinced 
her discretion in never venturing within the reach of 
Mohamed the Left-handed. 




Wm-"^^ 



THE THREE BEAUTIFUL PRINCESSES 

Almost as little is known of the conduct of that 
sagacious monarch when he discovered the escape of 
his daughters, and the deceit practised upon him hy 
the most faithful of servants. It was the only instance 
in which he had called in the aid of counsel, and he 
was never afterwards known to be guilty of a similar 
weakness. He took good care, however, to guard his 
remaining daughter, who had no disposition to elope: 
it is thought, indeed, that she secretly repented having 
remained behind: now and then she was seen leaning 
on the battlements of the tower, and looldng mourn- 
fully towards the mountains in the direction of Cor- 
dova, and sometimes the notes of her lute were heard 
accompanying plaintive ditties, in which she was said 
to lament the loss of her sisters and her lover, and to 
bewail her solitary life. She died young, and, accord- 
ing to popular rumor, was buried in a vault beneath 
the tower, and her untimely fate has given rise to more 
than one traditionary fable. 



The following legend, which seems in some meas- 
ure to spring out of the foregoing story, is too closely 
connected with high historic names to be entirely 
doubted. The Count's daughter, and some of her 
young companions, to whom it was read in one of the 
evening tertullias, thought certain parts of it had 
much appearance of reality; and Dolores, who was . 
much more versed than they in the improbable truths A 
of the Alhambra, believed every word of it. 

143 



^>>. 8 








LEGEND OF THE 

ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 




LEGEND OF THE ROSE OF THE 
ALHAMBRA 

For some time after the surrender of Granada 
by the Moors, that dehghtful city was a frequent and 
favorite residence of the Spanish sovereigns, until 
they were frightened away by successive shocks of 
earthquakes, which toppled down various houses, and 
made the old Moslem towers rock to their foundation. 

Many, many years tlien rolled away, during which 
Granada was rarely honored by a royal guest. The 
palaces of the nobiHty remained silent and shut up; 
and the Alhambra, like a slighted beauty, sat in 
mournful desolation, among her neglected gardens. 
The tower of the Infantas, once the residence of the 
three beautiful Moorish i)rincesses, partook of the 
general desolation; the s])ider spun her web athwart 
the gilded vault, and bats and owls nestled in those 
chambers that had been graced by the presence of 
Zayda, Zorayda, and Zorahayda. The neglect of 
this tower may partly have been owing to some super- 
stitious notions of the neigh!)ors. It was iTimored 
that the spirit of the youthful Zorahayda, who had 
perished in that tower, was often seen by moonlight 
seated beside the fountain in the hall, or moaning 

14,7 



^"7 



^-, 











LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




about the battlements, and that the notes of her silver 
lute would be heard at midnight by wayfarers passing 
along the glen. 

At length the city of Granada was once more wel- 
comed by the royal presence. All the world knows 
that Philip V. was the first Bourbon that swayed the 
Spanish sceptre. All the world knows that he mar- 
ried, in second nuptials, Elizabetta or Isabella (for 
the}^ are the same), the beautiful princess of Parma; 
and all the world knows that by this chain of contin- 
gencies a French prince and an Italian princess were 
seated together on the Spanish throne. For a visit 
of this illustrious pair, the Alhambra was repaired 
and fitted up with all possible expedition. The 
arrival of the court changed the whole aspect of the 
lately deserted palace. The clamor of drum and 
trumpet, the tramp of steed about the avenues and 
outer court, the glitter of arms and display of banners 
about barbican and battlement, recalled the ancient 
and warhke glories of the fortress. A softer spirit, 
however, reigned within the royal palace. There was 
the rustling of robes and the cautious tread and mur- 
muring voice of reverential courtiers about the ante- 
chambers; a loitering of pages and maids of honor 
about the gardens, and the sound of music stealing 
from open casements. 

Among those who attended in the train of the 
monarchs was a favorite page of the queen, named 

148 







THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



Ruyz de Alarcon. To say that he was a favorite page 
of the queen was at once to speak his eulogium, for 
every one in the suite of the stately EHzabetta was 
chosen for grace, and beauty, and accomplishments. 
He was just turned of eighteen, light and lithe of 
form, and graceful as a young Antinous. To the 
queen he was all deference and respect, yet he was at 
heart a roguish stripling, petted and spoiled by the 
ladies about the court, and experienced in the ways of 
women far beyond his years. 

This loitering page was one morning rambling 
about the groves of the Generalife, which overlook 
the grounds of the Alhambra. He had taken with 
him for his amusement a favorite ger-falcon of the 
queen. In the course of his rambles, seeing a bird 
rising from a thicket, he unhooded the hawk and let 
him fly. The falcon towered high in the air, made a 
swoop at his quarry, but missing it, soared away, 
regardless of the calls of the page. The latter fol- 
lowed the truant bird with his eye, in its capricious 
flight, until he saw it alight upon the battlements of 
a remote and lonely tower, in the outer wall of the 
Alhambra, built on the edge of a ravine that separated 
the royal fortress from the grounds of the Generalife. 
It was in fact the " Tower of the Princesses." 

The page descended into the ravine and ap- 
proached the tower, but it had no entrance from the 
glen, and its lofty height rendered any attempt to 

149 

[I 




7'C 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

scale it fruitless. Seeking one of the gates of the for- 
tress, therefore, he made a wide circuit to that side of 
the tower facing within the walls. 

A small garden, inclosed by a trellis- work of reeds 
overhung with myrtle, lay before the tower. Opening 
a wicket, the page passed between beds of flowers and 
thickets of roses to the door. It was closed and bolted. 
A crevice in the door gave him a peep into the interior. 
There was a small Moorish hall with fretted walls, 
light marble columns, and an alabaster fountain sur- 
rounded with flowers. In the centre hung a gilt cage 
containing a singing bird, beneath it, on a chair, lay a 
tortoise-shell cat among reels of silk and other articles 
of female labor, and a guitar decorated with ribbons 
leaned against the fountain. 

Ruyz de Alarcon was struck with these traces of 
female taste and elegance in a lonely, and, as he had 
supposed, deserted tower. They reminded him of the 
tales of enchanted halls current in the Alhambra ; and 
the tortoise-shell cat might be some spell-bound prin- 
cess. 

He knocked gently at the door. A beautiful face 
peeped out from a little -window above, but was in- 
stantly withdrawn. He waited, expecting that the 
If^^^L^i^^^K ^^°^ would be opened, but he waited in vain; no foot- 
feivSV'^^ll^ step was to be heard within — all was silent. Had his 
^^>.'ir^Cr^^^ senses deceived him, or was this beautiful apparition 
-V-i^? ^.^-^ Wii the fairy of the tower? He knocked again, and more 

150 



r^ 





THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



loudly. After a little while the beaming face once 
more peeped forth ; it was that of a blooming damsel 
of fifteen. 

The page immediately doffed his plumed bonnet, 
and entreated in the most courteous accents to be per- 
mitted to ascend the tower in pursuit of his falcon. 

" I dare not open the door, Senor," replied the 
little damsel, blushing, " my aunt has forbidden it." 

*' I do beseech you, fair maid — it is the favorite 
falcon of the queen: I dare not return to the palace 
without it." 

"Are you then one of the cavaliers of the court? " 

"I am, fair maid ; but I shall lose the queen's favor 
and my place, if I lose this hawk." 

" Santa Maria! It is against you cavaliers of the 
court my aunt has charged me especially to bar the 
door." 

"Against wicked cavaliers doubtless, but I am none 
of these, but a simple harmless page, who will be 
ruined and undone if you deny me this small request." 

The heart of the little damsel was touched by the 
distress of the page. It was a thousand pities he 
should be ruined for the want of so trifling a boon. 
Surely too he could not be one of those dangerous 
beings whom her aunt had described as a species of 
cannibal, ever on the prowl to make prey of thought- 
less damsels ; he was gentle and modest, and stood so 
entreatingly with cap in hand, and looked so charm- 
ing. 

151 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Jlp 



Mi m 




The sly page saw that the garrison began to waver, 
and redoubled his entreaties in such moving terms 
that it was not in the nature of mortal maiden to deny 
him; so the blushing little warden of the tower de- 
scended, and opened the door with a trembling hand, 
and if the page had been charmed by a mere glimpse 
of her countenance from the window, he was ravished 
by the full length portrait now revealed to him. 

Her Andalusian bodice and trim basquina set off 
the round but delicate sjinmetry of her form, which 
was as yet scarce verging into womanhood. Her 
glossy hair was parted on her forehead with scrupu- 
lous exactness, and decorated with a fresh plucked 
rose, according to the universal custom of the country. 
It is true her complexion was tinged by the ardor of 
a southern sun, but it served to give richness to the 
mantling bloom of her cheek, and to heighten the 
lustre of her melting eyes. 

Ruyz de Alarcon beheld all this with a single 
glance, for it became him not to tarry ; he merely mur- 
mured his acknowledgments, and then bounded lightly 
up the spiral staircase in quest of his falcon. 

He soon returned with the truant bird upon his 
fist. The damsel, in the meantime, had seated herself 
by the fountain in the hall, and was winding silk ; but 
in her agitation she let fall the reel upon the pave- 
ment. The page sprang and picked it up, then drop- 
ping gracefully on one knee, presented it to her ; but,. 

152 



THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



seizing the hand extended to receive it, imprinted on 
it a kiss more fervent and devout than he had ever 
imprinted on the fair hand of his sovereign. 

"Ave Maria, Sefior! " exclaimed the damsel, 
blushing still deeper with confusion and surprise, for 
never had she received such a salutation. 

The modest page made a thousand apologies, as- 
suring her it was the way at court, of expressing 
the most profound homage and respect. 

Her anger, if anger she felt, was easily pacified, 
hut her agitation and embarrassment continued, and 
she sat blushing deeper and deeper, with her eyes cast 
down upon her work, entangling the silk which she 
attempted to wind. 

The cunning page saw the confusion in the oppo- 
site camp, and would fain have profited by it, but the 
fine speeches he would have uttered died upon his 
lips; his attempts at gallantry were awkward and 
ineifectual; and to his surprise, the adroit page, who 
had figured with such grace and effrontery among the 
most knowing and experienced ladies of the court, 
found himself awed and abashed in the presence of a 
simple damsel of fifteen. 

In fact, the artless maiden, in her own modesty 
and innocence, had guardians more effectual than 
the bolts and bars prescribed by her vigilant aunt. 
Still, where is the female bosom proof against the fii'st 
whisperings of love? The little damsel, with all her 

153 



/ 



'•>. 



"^ 




V^ 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 








artlessness, instinctively comprehended all that the 
faltering tongue of the page failed to express, and 
her heart was fluttered at beholding, for the first time, 
a lover at her feet — and such a lover ! 

The diffidence of the page, though genuine, was 
short-lived, and he was recovering his usual ease and 
confidence, when a shrill voice was heard at a distance. 

"My aunt is returning from mass!" cried the 
damsel in affright: " I pray you, Senor, depart." 

" Not until you grant me that rose from your hair 
as a remembrance." 

She hastily untwisted the rose from her raven 
locks. " Take it," cried she, agitated and blushing, 
" but pray begone." 

The page took the rose, and at the same time cov- 
ered with kisses the fair hand that gave it. Then, 
placing the flower in his bonnet, and taking the falcon 
upon his fist, he bounded off through the garden, 
bearing away with him the heart of the gentle Jacinta. 

When the vigilant aunt arrived at the tower, she 
remarked the agitation of her niece, and an air of 
confusion in the hall; but a word of explanation 
sufficed. " A ger-f alcon had pursued his prey into 
the hafl." 

" Mercy on us! to think of a falcon flying into the 
tower. Did ever one hear of so saucy a hawk? Why, 
the very bird in the cage is not safe! " 

The vigilant Fredegonda was one of the most 

151 






THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



wary of ancient spinsters. She had a becoming terror 
and distrust of what she denominated " the opposite 
sex," which had gradually increased through a long 
life of celibacy. Not that the good lady had ever 
suiFered from their wiles, nature having set up a safe- 
guard in her face that forbade all trespass upon her 
premises ; but ladies who have least cause to fear for 
themselves are most ready to keep a watch over their 
more tempting neighbors. 

The niece was the orphan of an officer who had 
fallen in the wars. She had been educated in a con- 
vent, and had recently been transferred from her 
sacred asylum to the immediate guardianship of her 
aunt, under whose overshadowing care she vegetated 
in obscurity, like an opening rose blooming beneath a 
brier. Nor indeed is this comparison entirely acci- 
dental ; for, to tell the truth, her fresh and dawning 
beauty had caught the public eye, even in her seclu- 
sion, and, with that poetical turn common to the 
people of Andalusia, the peasantry of the neighbor- 
hood had given her the appellation of " the Rose of 
the Alhambra." 

The wary aunt continued to keep a faithful watch 
over her tempting little niece as long as the court con- 
tinued at Granada, and flattered herself that her vigi- 
lance had been successful. It is true, the good lady 
was now and then discomposed by the tinkling of gui- 
tars and chanting of love ditties from the moonlit 



^"^ 






155 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




groves beneath the tower; but she would exhort her 
niece to shut her ears against such idle minstrelsy, 
assuring her that it was one of the arts of the opposite 
sex, by which simple maids were often lured to their 
undoing. Alas! what chance with a simple maid has 
a dry lecture against a moonlight serenade? 

At length King Philip cut short his sojourn at 
Granada, and suddenly departed with all his train. 
The vigilant Fredegonda watched the royal pageant 
as it issued forth from the Gate of Justice, and de- 
ascended the great avenue leading to the city. When 
the last banner disappeared from her sight, she re- 
turned exulting to her tower, for all her cares were 
over. To her surprise, a light Arabian steed pawed 
the ground at the wicket-gate of the garden : — to her 
horror, she saw through the thickets of roses a youth, 
in gayly-embroidered dress, at the feet of her niece. 
At the sound of her footsteps he gave a tender adieu, 
bounded lightly over the barrier of reeds and myrtles, 
sprang upon his horse, and was out of sight in an 
instant. 

The tender Jacinta, in the agony of Tier grief, lost 
all thought of her aunt's displeasure. Throwing her- 
self into her arms, she broke forth into sobs and tears. 

" Ay de mi! " cried she; " he's gone! — he's gone! — 
he's gone! and I shall never see him more! " 

" Gone! — ^who is gone? — what youth is that I saw 
at your feet? 



156 



THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



" A queen's page, aunt, who came to bid me fare- 
weU." 

"A queen's page, child!" echoed the vigilant 
Fredegonda, faintly; "and when did you become 
acquainted with the queen's page? " 

" The morning that the ger-falcon came into the 
tower. It was the queen's ger-falcon, and he came in 
pursuit of it." 

" Ah silly, silly girl! know that there are no ger- 
falcons half so dangerous as these young prankling 
pages, and it is precisely such simple birds as thee 
that they pounce upon." 

The aunt was at first indignant at learning that in 
despite of her boasted vigilance a tender intercourse 
had been carried on by the youthful lovers, almost 
beneath her eye ; but when she found that her simple- 
hearted niece, though thus exposed, without the pro- 
tection of bolt or bar, to all the machinations of the 
opposite sex, had come forth unsinged from the fiery 
ordeal, she consoled herself with the persuasion that 
it was owing to the chaste and cautious maxims in 
which she had, as it were, steeped her to the very lips. 

While the aunt laid this soothing unction to her 
pride, the niece treasured up the oft-repeated vows of 
fidehty of the page. But what is the love of restless, 
roving man? A vagrant stream that dallies for a time 
with each flower upon its bank, then passes on, and 
leaves them all in tears. 

157 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Days, weeks, months elapsed, and nothing more 
was heard of the page. The pomegranate ripened, 
the vine yielded up its fruit, the autumnal rains de- 
scended in torrents from the mountains; the Sierra 
Nevada became covered with a snowy mantle, and 
wintry blasts howled through the halls of the Alham- 
bra — still he came not. The winter passed away. 
Again the genial spring burst forth with song and 
blossom and balmy zephyr; the snows melted from 
the mountains, until none remained but on the lofty 
summit of Nevada, glistening through the sultry 
summer air. Still nothing was heard of the forgetful 
page. 

In the meantime, the poor little Jacinta grew pale 
and thoughtful. Her former occupations and amuse- 
ments were abandoned, her silk lay entangled, her 
guitar unstrung, her flowers were neglected, the notes 
of her bird unheeded, and her eyes, once so bright, 
were dimmed with secret weeping. If any solitude 
could be devised to foster the passion of a love-lorn 
damsel, it would be such a place as the Alhambra, 
where everything seems disposed to produce tender 
and romantic reveries. It is a very paradise for 
lovers : how hard then to be alone in such a paradise — 
and not merely alone, but forsaken ! 

" Alas, silly child! " would the staid and immacu- 
late Fredegonda say, when she found her niece in 
one of her desponding moods — " did I not warn thee 



|aP 




Plg?/^*---- 



THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



against the wiles and deceptions of these men? What 
couldst thou expect, too, from one of a haughty and 
aspiring family — thou an orphan, the descendant of 
a fallen and impoverished line? Be assured, if the 
youth were true, his father, who is one of the proudest 
nobles about the court, would prohibit his union with 
one so humble and portionless as thou. Pluck up thy 
resolution, therefore, and drive these idle notions from 
thy mind." 

The words of the immaculate Fredegonda only 
served to increase the melancholy of her niece, but 
she sought to indulge it in private. At a late hour one 
midsummer night, after her aunt had retired to rest, 
she remained alone in the hall of the tower, seated 
beside the alabaster fountain. It was here that the 
faithless page had first knelt and kissed her hand; it 
was here that he had often vowed eternal fidelity. The 
poor little damsel's heart was overladen with sad and 
tender recollections, her tears began to flow, and 
slowly fell drop by drop into the fountain. By 
degrees the crystal water became agitated, and — 
bubble — bubble — bubble — boiled up and was tossed 
about, until a female figure, richly clad in Moorish 
robes, slowly rose to view. 

Jacinta was so frightened that she fled from the 
hall, and did not venture to return. The next morn- 
ing she related what she had seen to her aunt, but the >j 
good lady treated it as a phantasy of her troubled 

159 








*?SW% 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 





ttiUt^r j^ , 



mind, or supposed she had fallen asleep and dreamt 
beside the fountain. " Thou hast been thinking of 
the story of the three Moorish princesses that once 
inhabited this tower," continued she, " and it has 
entered into thy dreams." 

" What story, aunt? I know nothing of it." 

" Thou hast certainly heard of the three princesses, 
Zayda, Zorayda, and Zorahayda, who were confined 
in this tower by the king their father, and agreed to fly 
with three Christian cavaliers. The two first accom- 
plished their escape, but the third failed in her reso- 
lution, and, it is said, died in this tower." 

" I now recollect to have heard of it," said Jacinta, 
" and to have wept over the fate of the gentle 
Zorahayda." 

" Thou mayst well weep over her fate," continued 
the aunt, " for the lover of Zorahayda was thy ances- 
tor. He long bemoaned his Moorish love; but time 
Ji^ cured him of his grief, and he married a Spanish lady, 
from whom thou are descended." 

Jacinta ruminated upon these words. " That what 
I have seen is no phantasy of the brain," said she to 
herself, " I am^ confident. If indeed it be the spirit 
of the gentle Zorahayda, which I have heard lingers 
about this tower, of what should I be afraid? I'll 
watch by the fountain to-night — perhaps the visit 
will be repeated." 

Towards midnight, when everything was quiet, she 

160 




IT TOSSED ABOrr THE WATERS TILL THE MOORISH FEMALE AGAIN ROSE TO VIEW 



THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



again took her seat in the hall. As the bell in the dis- 
tant watchtower of the Alhambra struck the midnight 
hour, the fountain was again agitated ; and bubble — 
bubble — bubble — it tossed about the waters until the 
Moorish female again rose to view. She was young 
and beautiful; her dress was rich with jewels, and in 
her hand she held a silver lute. Jacinta trembled and 
was faint, but was reassured by the soft and plaintive 
voice of the apparition, and the sweet expression of 
her pale, melancholy countenance. 

" Daughter of mortality," said she, " what aileth 
thee? Why do thy tears trouble my fountain, and thy 
sighs and plaints disturb the quiet watches of the 
night?" 

" I weep because of the faithlessness of man, and 
I bemoan my solitary and forsaken state." 

" Take comfort; thy sorrows may yet have an end. 
Thou beholdest a Moorish princess, who, like thee, was ^ 
unhappy in her love. A Christian knight, thy ances- 
tor, won my heart, and would have borne me to his 
native land and to the bosom of his church. I was a 
convert in my heart, but I lacked courage equal to my 
faith, and lingered till too late. For this the evil 
genii are permitted to have power over me, and I 
remain enchanted in this tower until some pure Chris- 
tian will deign to break the magic spell. Wilt thou 
undertake the task? " 

" I will," replied the damsel, trembling. 

11 161 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



" Come hither then, and fear not ; dip thy hand in 
the fountain, sprinkle the water over me, and baptize 
me after the manner of thy faith; so shall the en- 
chantment be dispelled, and my troubled spirit have 
repose." 

The damsel advanced with faltering steps, dipped 
her hand in the fountain, collected water in the palm, 
and sprinkled it over the pale face of the phantom. 

The latter smiled with ineffable benignity. She 
dropped her silver lute at the feet of Jacinta, crossed 
her white arms upon her bosom, and melted from 
sight, so that it seemed merely as if a shower of dew- 
drops had fallen into the fountain. 

Jacinta retired from the hall filled with awe and 
wonder. She scarcely closed her eyes that night; but 
when she awoke at daj^break out of a troubled slumber, 
the whole appeared to her like a distempered dream. 
On descending into the hall, however, the truth of the 
vision was established, for, beside the fountain, she 
beheld the silver lute glittering in the morning 
sunshine. 
■-■^>~''re"^rn"' ' i?^^ ^^^ hastened to her aunt, to relate all that had 
u-^ '^^^ V J lU'"r .^ befallen her, and called her to behold the lute 



as a 
testimonial of the reality of her story. If the good 
lady had any lingering doubts, they were removed 
when Jacinta touched the instrument, for she drew 
forth such ravishing tones as to thaw even the frigid 
bosom of the immaculate Fredegonda, that region of 

162 










'^l 







j"i 



i 



THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



eternal winter, into a genial flow. Nothing but super- 
natural melody could have produced such an effect. 

The extraordinary power of the lute became every 
day more and more apparent. The wayfarer passing 
by the tower was detained, and, as it were, spell- 
bound, in breathless ecstasy. The very birds gathered 
in the neighboring trees, and, hushing their own 
strains, listened in charmed silence. 

Rumor soon spread the news abroad. The inhab- 
itants of Granada thronged to the Alhambra to catch 
a few notes of the transcendent music that floated 
about the tower of Las Infantas. 

The lovely httle minstrel was at length drawn 
forth from her retreat. The rich and powerful of 
the land contended who should entertain and do honor 
to her; or rather, who should secure the charms of her 
lute to draw fashionable throngs to their salons. 
Wherever she went her vigilant aunt kept a dragon 
watch at her elbow, awing the throngs of impassioned 
admirers, who hung in raptures on her strains. The 
report of her wonderful powers spread from city to 
city. Malaga, Seville, Cordova, all became succes- 
sively mad on the theme; nothing was talked of 
throughout Andalusia but the beautiful minstrel of 
the Alhambra. How could it be otherwise among a 
people so musical and gallant as the Andalusians, 
when the lute was magical in its powers, and the 
minstrel inspired by love! 

163 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

While all Andalusia was thus music mad, a differ- 
ent mood prevailed at the court of Spain. Philip V., 
as is well known, was a miserable hypochondriac, and 
subject to all kinds of fancies. Sometimes he would 
keep to his bed for weeks together, groaning under 
imaginary complaints. At other times he would insist 
upon abdicating his throne, to the great annoyance 
of his royal spouse, who had a strong relish for the 
splendors of a court and the glories of a crown, and 
guided the sceptre of her imbecile lord with an expert 
and steady hand. 

Nothing was found to be so efficacious in dispell- 
ing the royal megrims as the power of music; the 
queen took care, therefore, to have the best perform- 
ers,^ both vocal and instrumental, at hand, and retained 
the famous Italian singer FarinelH about the court as 
a kind of royal physician. 

At the moment we treat of, however, a freak had 
come over the mind of this sapient and illustrious 
Bourbon that surpassed all former vagaries. After 
a long spell of imaginary illness, which set all the 
strains of Farinelli and the consolations of a whole 
orchestra of court fiddlers at defiance, the monarch 
fairly, in idea, gave up the ghost, and considered him- 
self absolutely dead. 

iThis would have been harmless enough, and even 

r\\ -'S'^^^' ^^ convenient both to his queen and courtiers, had he 

-^.^^mnw.^i;^ |.^^^ been content to remain in the quietude befitting a dead 

i;!^; ^ »^~^*Sfd man; but to their annoyance he insisted upon having 

' "^ ^ 164 



r- 





THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



the funeral ceremonies performed over him, and, to 
their inexpressible perplexity, began to grow impa- 
tient, and to revile bitterly at them for negligence and 
disrespect, in leaving him unburied. What was to be 
done? To disobey the king's positive commands was 
monstrous in the eyes of the obsequious courtiers of a 
punctilious court — but to obey him, and bury him 
alive would be downright regicide! 

In the midst of this fearful dilemma a rumor 
reached the court, of the female minstrel who was 
turning the brains of all Andalusia. The queen dis- 
patched missions in all haste to summon her to St. 
Ildefonso, where the court at that time resided. 

Within a few days, as the queen with her maids of 
honor was walking in those stately gardens, intended, 
with their avenues and terraces and fountains, to 
eclipse the glories of Versailles, the far-famed min- 
strel was conducted into her presence. The imperial 
Elizabetta gazed with surprise at the youthful and 
unpretending appearance of the little being that had 
set the world madding. She was in her picturesque 
Andalusian dress, her silver lute in hand, and stood 
with modest and downcast eyes, but with a simplicity 
and freshness of beauty that still bespoke her " the 
Rose of the Alhambra." 

As usual she was accompanied by the ever-vigilant 
Fredegonda, who gave the whole history of her 
parentage and descent to the inquiring queen. If the 
stately Elizabetta had been interested by the appear- 

165 




^^•;':::i 










LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




ance of Jacinta, she was still more pleased when she 
learnt that she was of a meritorious though impover- 
ished line, and that her father had bravely fallen in 
the service of the crown. " If thy powers equal their 
renown," said she, " and thou canst cast forth this 
evil spirit that possesses thy sovereign, thy fortunes 
shall henceforth be my care, and honors and wealth 
attend thee." 

Impatient to make trial of her skill, she led the 
way at once to the apartment of the moody monarch. 

Jacinta followed with downcast eyes through files 
of guards and crowds of courtiers. They arrived at 
length at a great chamber hung with black. The win- 
dows were closed to exclude the light of day: a num- 
ber of yellow wax tapers in silver sconces diffused a 
lugubrious light, and dimly revealed the figures of 
mutes in mourning dresses, and courtiers who glided 
about with noiseless step and woebegone visage. In 
the midst of a funeral bed or bier, his hands folded on 
his breast, and the tip of his nose just visible, lay 
extended this would-be-buried monarch. 

The queen entered the chamber in silence, and 
pointing to a footstool in an obscure corner, beckoned 
to Jacinta to sit down and commence. 

At first she touched her lute with a faltering hand, 
but gathering confidence and animation as she pro- 
ceeded, drew forth such soft aerial harmony, that all 
present could scarce believe it mortal. As to the 
monarch, who had already considered himself in the 

166 



THE ROSE OF THE ALHAMBRA 



world of spirits, he set it down for some angelic 
melody or the music of the spheres. By degrees the 
theme was varied, and the voice of the minstrel accom- 
l^anied the instrument. She poured forth one of the 
legendary ballads treating of the ancient glories of 
the Alhambra and the achievements of the Moors. 
Her whole soul entered into the theme, for with the 
recollections of the Alhambra was associated the story 
of her love. The funeral chamber resounded with the 
animating strain. It entered into the gloomy heart of 
the monarch. He raised his head and gazed around: 
he sat up on his couch, his eye began to kindle — at 
length, leaping upon the floor, he called for sword and 
buckler. 

The triumph of music, or rather of the enchanted 
lute, was complete ; the demon of melancholy was cast 
forth; and, as it were, a dead man brought to life. 
The windows of the apartment were thrown open; 
the glorious effulgence of Spanish sunshine burst into 
the late lugubrious chamber ; all eyes sought the lovely 
enchantress, but the lute had fallen from her hand, 
she had sunk upon the earth, and the next moment 
was clasped to the bosom of Ruyz de Alarcon. 

The nuptials of the happy couple were celebrated 
soon afterwards with great splendor, and the Rose of 
the Alhambra became the ornament and delight of 
the court. "But hold — not so fast " — I hear the 
reader exclaim, " this is jumping to the end of a story 
at a furious rate! First let us know how Ruyz de 



i> 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 





Alarcon managed to account to Jacinta for his long 
neglect?" Nothing more easy; the venerable, time- 
honored excuse, the opposition to his wishes by a 
proud, pragmatical old father : besides, young people, 
who really hke one another, soon come to an amicable 
understanding, and bury all past grievances when 
once they meet. 

But how was the proud pragmatical old father 
reconciled to the match? 

Oh! as to that, his scruples were easily overcome 
by a word or two from the queen ; especially as digni- 
ties and rewards were showered upon the blooming 
favorite of royalty. Besides, the lute of Jacinta, you 
know, possessed a magic power, and could control 
the most stubborn head and hardest breast. 

And what came of the enchanted lute? 

O that is the most curious matter of all, and plainly 
proves the truth of the whole story. That lute re- 
mained for some time in the family, but was purloined 
and carried off, as was supposed, by the great singer 
Farinelli, in pure jealousy. At his death it passed 
into other hands in Italy, who were ignorant of its 
mystic powers, and melting down the silver, trans- 
ferred the strings to an old Cremona fiddle. The 
strings still retain something of their magic virtues. 
A word in the reader's ear, but let it go no further — 
that fiddle is now bewitching the whole world — it is 
the fiddle of Paganini! 

168 



LEGEND OF THE 

TWO DISCREET STATUES 







I y I J .^ -in- — . 



...r^^ ^-I'"^^ 
-'-V:'^^^^ 



LEGEND OF THE TWO DISCREET 
STATUES 



There lived once in a waste apartment of the 
Alhambra, a merry little fellow, named Lope Sanchez, 
who worked in the gardens, and was as brisk and 
blithe as a grasshopper, singing all day long. He 
was the life and soul of the fortress; when his work 
was over, he would sit on one of the stone benches of 
the esplanade, strum his guitar, and sing long ditties 
about the Cid, and Bernardo del Carpio, and Fernado 
del Pulgar, and other Spanish heroes, for the amuse- 
ment of the old soldiers of the fortress, or would 
strike up a merrier tune, and set the girls dancing 
boleros and fandangos. 

Like most little men. Lope Sanchez had a strap- 
ping buxom dame for a wife, who could almost have 
put him in her pocket; but he lacked the usual poor 
man's lot — instead of ten children he had but one. 
This was a little black-eyed girl about twelve years of 
age, named Sanchica, who was as merry as himself, 
and the delight of his heart. She played about him 
as he worked in the gardens, danced to his guitar as 
he sat in the shade, and ran as wild as a young fawn 

171 







Wfii 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




about the groves and alleys and ruined halls of the 
Alhambra. 

It was now the eve of the blessed St. John, and 
the holiday-loving gossips of the Alhambra, men, 
women, and children, went up at night to the moun- 
tain of the sun, which rises above the Generalife, to 
keep their midsummer vigil on its level summit. It 
was a bright moonlight night, and all the mountains 
were gray and silvery, and the city, with its domes 
and spires, lay in shadows below, and the Vega was 
like a fairy land, with haunted streams gleaming 
among its dusky groves. On the highest part of the 
mountain they lit up a bonfire, according to an old 
custom of the country handed down from the INIoors. 
The inhabitants of the surrounding country were 
keeping a similar vigil, and bonfires, here and there in 
the Vega, and along the folds of the mountains, 
blazed up palely in the moonlight. 

The evening was gajdy passed in dancing to the 
guitar of Lope Sanchez, who was never so joyous as 
when on a holiday revel of the kind. While the dance 
was going on, the little Sanchica with some of her 
playmates sported among the ruins of an old Moorish 
fort that crowns the mountain, when, in gathering 
pebbles in the fosse, she found a small hand curiously 
carved of jet, the fingers closed, and the thumb firmly 
clasped upon them. Overjoyed with her good for- 
tune, she ran to her mother with her prize. It imme- 

172 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



diately became a subject of sage speculation, and was 
eyed b}^ some with superstitious distrust. " Throw 
it away," said one ; " it's Moorish — depend upon it 
there's miscliief and witchcraft in it." " By no means," 
said another; " you may sell it for something to the 
jewellers of the Zacatin." In the midst of this dis- 
cussion an old tawny soldier drew near, who had 
served in Africa, and was as swarthy as a Moor. He 
examined the hand with a knowing look. " I have 
seen things of tliis kind," said he, " among the INIoors 
of Barbary. It is a great virtue to guard against the 
evil eye, and all kinds of spells and enchantments. I 
give you joy, friend Lope, this bodes good luck to 
your child." 

Upon hearing this, the wife of Lope Sanchez tied 
the little hand of jet to a ribbon, and hung it round 
the neck of her daughter. 

The sight of her talisman called up all the favorite 
superstitions about the JNIoors. The dance was neg- 
lected, and they sat in groups on the ground, telling 
old legendary tales handed down from their ancestors. 
Some of their stories turned upon the wonders of the 
very mountain upon which they were seated, which is 
a famous hobgoblin region. One ancient crone gave a 
long account of the subterranean palace in the bowels 
of that mountain where Boabdil and all his Moslem 
court are said to remain enchanted. " Among yonder 
ruins," said she, pointing to some crumbling walls and 

173 





Pi^m 






LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




mounds of earth on a distant part of the mountain, 
" there is a deep black pit that goes down, down into 
the very heart of the mountain. For all the money 
in Granada I would not look down into it. Once upon 
a time a poor man of the Alhambra, who tended goats 
upon this mountain, scrambled down into that pit after 
a kid that had fallen in. He came out again all wild 
and staring, and told such things of what he had seen, 
that every one thought his brain was turned. He 
raved for a day or two about the hobgoblin Moors that 
had pursued him in the cavern, and could hardly be 
persuaded to drive his goats up again to the mountain. 
He did so at last, but, poor man, he never came down 
again. The neighbors found his goats browsing about 
the Moorish ruins, and his hat and mantle lying near 
the mouth of the pit, but he was never more heard of." 
The little Sanchica listened with breathless atten- 
tion to this story. She was of a curious nature, and 
felt immediately a great hankering to peep into this 
dangerous pit. Stealing away from her companions 
she sought the distant ruins, and after groping for 
some time among them came to a small hollow, or 
basin, near the brow of the mountain, where it swept 
steeply down into the valley of the Darro. In the 
centre of this basin yawned the mouth of the pit. 
Sanchica ventured to the verge, and peeped in. All 
was as black as pitch, and gave an idea of immeasur- 
able depth. Her blood ran cold ; she drew back, then 



:^<!^& -> 



h. 






m 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



peeped in again, then would have run away, then took 
another peep — the very horror of the thing was de- 
hghtful to her. At length she rolled a large stone, 
and pushed it over the brink. For some time it fell in 
silence; then struck some rocky projection with a vio- 
lent crash, then rebounded from side to side, rumbling 
and tumbling, with a noise like thunder, then made a 
final splash into water, far, far below — and all was 
again silent. 

The silence, however, did not long continue. It 
seemed as if something had been awakened within this 
dreary abyss. A murmuring sound gradually rose 
out of the pit like the hum and buzz of a beehive. It 
grew louder and louder; there was the confusion of 
voices as of a distant multitude, together with the faint 
din of arms, clash of cymbals and clangor of trumpets, 
as if some army were marshalling for battle in the 
very bowels of the mountain. 

The child drew off with silent awe, and hastened 
back to the place where she had left her parents and 
their companions. All were gone. The bonfire was 
expiring, and its last wreath of smoke curling up in 
the moonshine. The distant fii-es that had blazed 
along the mountains and in the Vega were all extin- 
guished, and everything seemed to have sunk to re- 
pose. Sanchica called her parents and some of her 
companions by name, but received no reply. She ran > 
down the side of the mountain, and by the gardens 

175 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




of the Generalif e, until she arrived in the alley of trees 
leading to the Alhambra, when she seated herself on 
a bench of a woody recess to recover breath. The bell 
from the watchtower of the Alhambra tolled midnight. 
There was a deep tranquillity as if all nature slept; 
excepting the low tinkling sound of an unseen stream 
that ran under the covert of the bushes. The breathing 
sweetness of the atmosphere was lulling her to sleep, 
when her eye was caught by something glittering at 
a distance, and to her surprise she beheld a long caval- 
cade of Moorish warriors pouring down the mountain 
side and along the leafy avenues. Some were armed 
with lances and shields; others with cimeters and 
battle-axes, and with polished cuirasses that flashed in 
the moonbeams. Then* horses pranced proudly and 
champed upon their bits, but their tramp caused no 
more sound than if they had been shod with felt, and 
the riders were all as pale as death. Among them 



\ "^'iff* V7;i74'rode a beautiful lady, with a crowned head and long 



^feM^'^ 




X. 



w -,,, golden locks entwined with pearls. The housings of 

"T//»t!„'.V<.'-''Vfc- her palfry were of crimson velvet embroidered with 
gold, and swept the earth; but she rode all disconso- 
late, with eyes ever fixed upon the ground. 

Then succeeded a train of courtiers magnificently 
arrayed in robes and turbans of divers colors, and 
amidst them, on a cream-colored charger, rode King 
BoabdilelChico,in a royal mantle covered with jewels, 
and a crown sparkling with diamonds. The little 

176 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



Sanchica knew him by his yellow beard, and his resem- 
blance to his portrait, which she had often seen in the 
picture gallery of the Generalife. She gazed in 
wonder and admiration at this royal pageant, as ib 
passed glistening among the trees; but though she 
knew these monarchs and courtiers and warriors, so 
pale and silent, were out of the common course of 
nature, and things of magic and enchantment, yet she 
looked on with a bold heart, such courage did she 
derive from the mystic talisman of the hand, which 
was suspended about her neck. 

The cavalcade having passed by, she rose and fol- 
lowed. It continued on to the great Gate of Justice, 
which stood wide open; the old invalid sentinels on 
dut}^ lay on the stone benches of the barbican, buried 
in profound and apparently charmed sleep, and the 
phantom pageant swept noiselessly by them with 
flaunting banner and triumphant state. Sanchica 
would have followed; but to her surprise she beheld 
an opening in the earth, within the barbican, leading 
down beneath the foundations of the tower. She 
entered for a little distance, and was encouraged 
to proceed by finding steps rudely hewn in the rock, 
and a vaulted passage here and there lit up by a silver 
lamp, which, while it gave light, diffused likewise a 
grateful fragrance. Venturing on, she came at last to 
a great hall, wrought out of the heart of the mountain, 
magnificently furnished in the Moorish style, and 




12 



177 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



;/4'"=^. 



1 



?^. 






«%5^-# 



lighted up by silver and crystal lamps. Here, on an 
ottoman, sat an old man in Moorish dress, with a long 
white beard, nodding and dozing, with a staif in his 
hand, which seemed ever to be slipping from his 
grasp; while at a little distance sat a beautiful lady, in 
ancient Spanish dress, with a coronet all sparkling 
with diamonds, and her hair entwined with pearls, who 
was softly playing on a silver lyre. The little San- 
chica now recollected a story she had heard among 
the old people of the Alhambra, concerning a Gothic 
princess confined in the centre of the mountain by an 
old Arabian magician, whom she kept bound up in 
magic sleep by the power of music. 

The lady paused with surprise at seeing a mortal 
in that enchanted hall. " Is it the eve of the blessed 
St. John? " said she. 

" It is," replied Sanchica. 

" Then for one night the magic charm is sus- 
pended. Come hither, child, and fear not. I am a 
Christian like thyself, though bound here by enchant- 
ment. Touch my fetters with the talisman that hangs 
about thy neck, and for this night I shall be free." 

So saying, she opened her robes and displayed 
a broad golden band round her waist, and a golden 
chain that fastened her to the ground. The child hesi- 
tated not to apply the little hand of jet to the golden 
band, and immediately the chain fell to the earth. At 
the sound the old man woke and began to rub his eyes ; 

178 





SHE DISPLAYED A BROAD GOLDEN BAND ABOUND HER WAIST AND A GOLDEN CHAIN THAT 

FASTENED HER TO THE GROUND 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



but the lady ran her fingers over the chords of the 
h'^re, and again he fell into slumber and began to nod, 
and his staff to falter in his hand. " Now," said the 
lady, " touch his staff with the talismanic hand of 
jet." The child did so, and it fell from his grasp, 
and he sank in a deep sleep on the ottoman. The lady 
gently laid the silver Ijnre on the ottoman, leaning it 
against the head of the sleeping magician ; then touch- 
ing the chords until they vibrated in his ear — " O 
potent spirit of harmony," said she, " continue thus to 
hold his senses in thraldom till the return of day. 
Now follow me, my child," continued she, " and thou 
shalt behold the Alhambra as it was in the days of its 
glory, for thou hast a magic talisman that reveals all 
enchantments." Sanchica followed the lady in silence. 
They passed up through the entrance of the cavern 
into the barbican of the Gate of Justice, and thence 
to the Plaza de los Algibes, or esplanade within the 
fortress. 

This was all filled with Moorish soldiery, horse and 
foot, marshalled in squadrons, with banners displayed. 
There were royal guards also at the portal, and rows 
of African blacks with drawn cimeters. No one spoke 
a word, and Sanchica passed on fearlessly after her 
conductor. Her astonishment increased on entering 
the royal palace, in which she had been reared. The 
broad moonshine lit up all the halls and courts and 
gardens almost as brightly as if it were day, but 

179 







■ -«r. 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

revealed a far different scene from that to which she 
was accustomed. The walls of the apartments were 
no longer stained and rent by time. Instead of cob- 
webs, they were now hung with rich silks of Damascus, 
and the gildings and arabesque paintings w^ere re- 
stored to their original brilliancy and freshness. The 
halls, no longer naked and unfurnished, were set out 
with divans and ottomans of the rarest stuffs, em- 
broidered with pearls and studded with precious gems, 
and all the fountains in the courts and gardens were 
playing. 

The kitchens were again in full operation; cooks 

were busy preparing shadowy dishes, and roasting 

and boiling the phantoms of pullets and partridges; 

servants were hurrying to and fro with silver dishes 

heaped up with dainties, and arranging a delicious 

banquet. The Court of Lions was thronged with 

guards, and courtiers, and alfaquis, as in the old times 

' "^N of the Moors; and at the upper end, in the saloon of 

\ \ judgment, sat Boabdil on his throne, surrounded by 

«) / i his court, and swaying a shadowy sceptre for the 

■' /^ ^ night. Notwithstanding all this throng and seeming 

.^^'' ^'"^^ bustle, not a voice nor a footstep was to be heard; 

' /^r^ nothing interrupted the midnight silence but the 

,C ?S^?^K splashing of the fountains. The little Sanchica fol- 

-s^;S-K''"'"^ I 1% lowed her conductress in mute amazement about the 

s?s;s;,j^|.^^ palace, until they came to a portal opening to the 

' ^ 'T/^^VJ^ vaulted passages beneath the great tower of Comares. 

180 



R WIfTTTtffTTnp 




;^«M^* 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



On each side of the portal sat the figure of a njmiph, 
wrought out of alabaster. Their heads were turned 
aside, and their regards fixed upon the same spot 
within the vault. The enchanted lady paused, and 
beckoned the child to her. " Here," said she, *' is a 
great secret, which I will reveal to thee in reward for 
thy faith and courage. These discreet statutes watch 
over a treasure hidden in old times by a Moorish king. 
Tell thy father to search the spot on which their eyes 
are fixed, and he will find what will make him richer 
than any man in Granada. Thy innocent hands alone, 
however, gifted as thou art also with the talisman, can 
remove the treasure. Bid thy father use it discreetly, 
and devote a part of it to the performance of daily 
masses for my deliverance from this unholy enchant- 
ment." 

When the lady had spoken these words, she led the 
child onward to the little garden of Lindaraxa, wliich 
is hard by the vault of the statues. The moon trem- 
bled upon the waters of the solitary fountain in the 
centre of the garden, and shed a tender light upon 
the orange and citron trees. The beautiful lady 
plucked a branch of myrtle and wreathed it round the 
head of the child. " Let this be a memento," said she, 
" of what I have revealed to thee, and a testimonial of 
its truth. My hour is come; I must return to the 
enchanted hall ; follow me not, lest evil befall thee — 
farewell. Remember what I have said, and have 

181 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




masses performed for my deliverance." So saying", 
the lady entered a dark passage leading beneath the 
tower of Comares, and was no longer seen. 

The faint crowing of a cock was now heard from 
the cottages below the Alhambra, in the valley of the 
Darro, and a pale streak of light began to appear 
above the eastern mountains. A slight wind arose, 
there was a sound like the rustling of dry leaves 
through the courts and corridors, and door after door 
shut to with a jarring sound. 

Sanchica returned to the scenes she had so lately 
beheld thronged with the shadowy multitude, but 
Boabdil and his phantom court were gone. The moon 
shone into empty halls and galleries stripped of their 
transient splendor, stained and dilapidated by time, 
and hung with cobwebs. The bat flitted about in the 
uncertain light, and the frog croaked from the fish- 
pond. 

Sanchica now made the best of her way to a remote 
staircase that led up to the humble apartment occu- 
pied by her family. The door as usual was open, for 
Lope Sanchez was too poor to need bolt or bar; she 
crept quietly to her pallet, and, putting the myrtle 
wreath beneath her pillow, soon fell asleep. 

In the morning she related all that had befallen 
her to her father. Lope Sanchez, however, treated the 
whole as a mere dream, and laughed at the child for 
her credulity. He went forth to his customary labors 

182 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



in the garden, but had not been there long when his 
little daughter came running to him almost breathless. 
"Father! father!" cried she, "behold the myrtle 
wreath which the Moorish lady bound round my 
head." 

Lope Sanchez gazed with astonisliment, for the 
stalk of the myrtle was of pure gold, and every leaf 
was a sparkling emerald ! Being not much accustomed 
to precious stones, he was ignorant of the real value 
of the wreath, but he saw enough to convince him that 
it was something more substantial than the stuff of 
which dreams are generally made, and that at any rate 
the child had dreamt to some purpose. His first care 
was to enjoin the most absolute secrecy upon his 
daughter ; in this respect, however, he was secure, for 
she had discretion far beyond her years or sex. He 
then repaired to the vault, where stood the statues of 
the two alabaster nymphs. He remarked that their 
heads were turned from the portal, and that the re- 
gards of each were fixed upon the same point in the 
interior of the building. Lope Sanchez could not but 
admire this most discreet contrivance for guarding 
a secret. He drew a line from the eyes of the statues 
to the point of regard, made a private mark on the 
w^all, and then retired. 

All day, however, the mind of Lope Sanchez was 
distracted with a thousand cares. He could not help 
hovering within distant view of the two statues, 

183 







m* 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




became nervous from the dread that the golden secret 
might be discovered. Every footstep that approached 
the place made him tremble. He would have given 
anything could he but have turned the heads of the 
statues, forgetting that they had looked precisely in 
the same direction for some hundreds of years, with- 
out any person being the wiser. 

" A plague upon them," he would say to himself, 
" they'll betray all ; did ever mortal hear of such a 
mode of guarding a secret? " Then on hearing any 
one advance, he would steal off, as though his very 
lurking near the place would awaken suspicion. Then 
he would return cautiously, and peep from a distance 
to see if everything was secure, but the sight of the 
statues would again call forth his indignation. " Ay, 
there they stand," would he say, " always looking, and 
looking, and looking, just where they should not. 
Confound them! they are just like all their sex; if they 
have not tongues to tattle with, they'll be sure to do 
it with their eyes." 

At length, to his relief, the long anxious day drew 
to a close. The sound of footsteps was no longer 
heard in the echoing halls of the Alhambra; the last 
stranger passed the threshold, the great portal was 
barred and bolted, and the bat and the frog and the 
hooting owl gradually resumed their nightly vocations 
in the deserted palace. 

Lope Sanchez waited, however, until the night was 

184 






THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



far advanced before he ventured with his little daugh- 
ter to the hall of the two nymphs. He found them 
looking as knowingly and mysteriously as ever at the 
secret place of deposit. " By your leaves, gentle 
ladies," thought Lope Sanchez, as he passed between 
them, " I will relieve you from this charge that must 
have set so heavy in your minds for the last two or 
three centuries." He accordingly went to work at the 
part of the wall which he had marked, and in a little 
while laid open a concealed recess, in which stood two 
great jars of porcelain. He attempted to draw them 
forth, but they were immovable, until touched by the 
innocent hand of his little daughter. With her aid he 
dislodged them from their niche, and found, to his 
great joy, that they were filled with pieces of Moorish 
gold, mingled with jewels and precious stones. Be- 
fore daylight he managed to convej'^ them to his 
chamber, and left the two guardian statues with their 
eyes still fixed on the vacant wall. 

Lope Sanchez had thus on a sudden become a rich 
man ; but riches, as usual, brought a world of cares to 
which he had hitherto been a stranger. How was he 
to convey away his wealth with safety ? How was he 
even to enter upon the enjoyment of it without awak- 
ening suspicion? Now, too, for the first time in his 
life the dread of robbers entered into his mind. He 
looked with terror at the insecurity of his habitation, 
and went to work to barricade the doors and windows ; 



185 



if^ 











LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




yet after all his precautions he could not sleep soundly. 
His usual gayety was at an end, he had no longer a 
joke or a song for his neighbors, and, in short, became 
the most miserable animal in the Alhambra. His old 
comrades remarked this alteration, pitied him heartily, 
and began to desert him ; thinking he must be falling 
into want, and in danger of looking to them for assist- 
ance. Little did they suspect that his only calamity 
was riches. 

The wife of Lope Sanchez shared his anxiety, but 
then she had ghostly comfort. We ought before this 
to have mentioned that Lope, being rather a light 
inconsiderate little man, his wife was accustomed, in 
all grave matters, to seek the counsel and ministry of 
her confessor Fray Simon, a sturdy, broad-shouldered, 
blue-bearded, bullet-headed friar of the neighboring 
convent of San Francisco, who was in fact the spirit- 
ual comforter of half the good wives of the neighbor- 
hood. He was moreover in great esteem among divers 
sisterhoods of nuns ; who requited him for his ghostly 
services by frequent presents of those little dainties 
and knick-knacks manufactured in convents, such as 
delicate confections, sweet biscuits, and bottles of 
spiced cordials, found to be marvellous restoratives 
after fasts and vigils. 

Fray Simon thrived in the exercise of his func- 
tions. His oily skin glistened in the sunshine as he 
toiled up the hill of the Alhambra on a sultry day. 

186 




THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



Yet notwithstanding his sleek condition, the knotted 
rope round his waist showed the austerity of his self- 
discipHne ; the multitude doffed their caps to him as a 
mirror of piety, and even the dogs scented the odor of 
sanctity that exhaled from his garments, and howled 
from their kennels as he passed. 

Such was Fray Simon, the spiritual counsellor of 
the comely wife of Lope Sanchez; and as the father 
confessor is the domestic confidant of women in 
humble life in Spain, he was soon acquainted, in great 
secrec}^ with the story of the hidden treasure. 

The friar opened his eyes and mouth and crossed 
himself a dozen times at the news. After a moment's 
pause, " Daughter of my soul! " said he, " know that 
thy husband has committed a double sin — a sin against 
both state and church! The treasure he hath thus 
seized upon for himself, being found in the royal 
domains, belongs of course to the crown; but being 
infidel wealth, rescued as it were from the very fangs 
of Satan, should be devoted to the church. Still, 
however, the matter may be accommodated. Bring 
hither thy myrtle wreath." 

When the good father beheld it, his eyes tmnkled 
more than ever with admiration of the size and beauty 
of the emeralds. " This," said he " being the first- 
fruits of this discovery, should be dedicated to pious 
purposes. I will hang it up as a votive offering before 
the image of San Francisco in our chapel, and will 

187 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



earnestly pray to him, this very night, that your hus- 
band be permitted to remain in quiet possession of 
your wealth." 

The good dame was delighted to make her peace 
with heaven at so cheap a rate, and the friar putting 
the wreath under his mantle, departed with saintly 
steps toward his convent. 

When Lope Sanchez came home, his wife told him 
what had passed. He was excessively provoked, for 
he lacked his wife's devotion, and had for some time 
groaned in secret at the domestic visitations of the 
friar. "Woman," said he, "what hast thou done? 
thou hast put everything at hazard by thy tattling." 

"What!" cried the good woman, "would you 
forbid mj^ disburdening my conscience to my con- 
fessor? " 

" No, wife! confess as many of your own sins as 
you please; but as to this money-digging, it is a sin 
of my own, and my conscience is very easy under the 
weight of it." 

There was no use, however, in complaining; the 
secret was told, and, like water spilled on the sand, 
was not again to be gathered. Their only chance was, 
that the friar would be discreet. 

The next day, while Lope Sanchez was abroad 

there was a humble knocking at the door, and Fray 

Simon entered with mock and demure countenance. 

'■\^'^ '" Daughter," said he, " I have earnestly prayed 

^t;i.K to San Francisco, and he has heard my prayer. In 

188 










'^n>--^.zr. 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 

the dead of the night the saint appeared to me in a 
dream, but with a frowning aspect. ' Why,' said he, 
' dost thou pray to me to dispense with this treasure 
of the Gentiles, when thou seest the poverty of my 
chapel? Go to the house of Lope Sanchez, crave in 
my name a portion of the Moorish gold, to furnish 
two candlesticks for the main altar, and let Mm possess 
the residue in peace.' " 

When the good woman heard of this vision, she 
crossed herself with awe, and going to the secret place 
where Lope had hid the treasure, she filled a great 
leathern purse with pieces of Moorish gold, and gave 
it to the friar. The pious monk bestowed upon her, in 
return, benedictions enough, if paid by Heaven, to 
enrich her race to the latest posterity; then slipping 
the purse into the sleeve of his habit, he folded his 
hands upon his breast, and departed with an air of 
humble thankfulness. 

When Lope Sanchez heard of this second dona- 
tion to the church, he had well nigh lost liis senses. 
" Unfortunate man," cried he " what will become of 
me? I shall be robbed by piecemeal; I shall be ruined 
and brought to beggary ! " ^ 

It was with the utmost difficulty that his wife |» 
could pacify him, by reminding him of the countless ^ j/^. 
wealth that yet remained, and how considerate it was ^0> 
for San Francisco to rest contented with so small a ys_^ 
portion. -^^^ 

Unluckily, Fray Simon had a nimiber of poor iliU.lll 

189 ' 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




relations to be provided for, not to mention some half- 
dozen sturdy bullet-headed orphan children, and desti- 
tute foundlings that he had taken under his care. He 
repeated his visits, therefore, from day to day, with 
solicitations on behalf of Saint Dominick, Saint 
Andrew, Saint James, until poor Lope was driven to 
despair, and found that unless he got out of the reach 
of this holy friar, he should have to make peace-ofFer- 
ings to every saint in the calendar. He determined, 
therefore, to pack up his remaining wealth, beat a 
secret retreat in the night, and make off to another 
part of the kingdom. 

Full of his project, he bought a stout mule for 
the purpose, and tethered it in a gloomy vault under- 
neath the tower of the seven floors; the very place 
whence the Belludo, or goblin horse, is said to issue 
forth at midnight, and scour the streets of Granada, 
pursued by a pack of hell-hounds. Lope Sanchez had 
little faith in the story, but availed himself of the 
^"-' '^^ dread occasioned by it, knowing that no one would 
. _ ^- ^ be likely to pry into the subterranean stable of the 

,„»t!„X'.>^-'jj^ phantom steed. He sent off his family in the course 
of the day with orders to wait for him at a distant 
village of the Vega. As the night advanced, he con- 
veyed his treasure to the vault under the tower, and 
having loaded his mule, he led it forth, and cautiously 
descended the dusky avenue. 

Honest Lope had taken his measures with the 
utmost secrecy, imparting them to no one but thefaith- 

190 




THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



ful wife of his bosom. By some miraculous revela- 
tion, however, they became known to Fray Simon. 
The zealous friar beheld these infidel treasures on the 
point of slipping forever out of liis grasp, and deter- 
mined to have one more dash at them for the benefit 
of the church and San Francisco. Accordingly, when 
the bells had rung for animas, and all the Alhambra 
was quiet, he stole out of his convent, and descending 
through the Gate of Justice, concealed himself among 
the thickets of roses and laurels that border the great 
avenue. Here he remained, counting the quarters of 
hours as they were sounded on the bell of the watch- 
tower, and listening to the dreary hootings of owls, 
and the distant barkmg of dogs from the gipsy 
caverns. 

At length he heard the tramp of hoofs, and, 
through the gloom of the overshadowing trees, imper- 
fectly beheld a steed descending the avenue. The 
sturdy friar chuckled at the idea of the knowing turn 
he was about to serve honest Lope. 

Tucking up the skirts of his habit, and wiggling 
like a cat watching a mouse, he waited until his prey 
was directly before him, when darting forth from his 
leafy covert, and putting one hand on the shoulder 
and the other on the crupper, he made a vault that 
would not have disgraced the most experienced master 
of equitation, and alighted well-forked astride the 
steed. "Ah ha!" said the sturdy friar, "we shall 
now see who best understands the game." He had 

191 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



V- 







scarce uttered the words when the mule began to kick, 
and rear, and plunge, and then set off full speed down 
the hill. The friar attempted to check him, but in 
vain. He bounded from rock to rock, and bush to 
bush; the friar's habit was torn to ribbons and flut- 
tered in the wind, his shaven poll received many a 
hard knock from the branches of the trees, and many 
a scratch from the brambles. To add to his terror and 
distress, he found a pack of seven hounds in full cry at 
his heels, and perceived, too late, that he was actually 
mounted upon the terrible Belludo! 

Away then they went, according to the ancient 
phrase, " pull devil, pull friar," down the great 
avenue, across the Plaza Neuva, along the Zacatin, 
around the Vivarrambla — never did huntsman and 
hound make a more furious run, or more infernal 
uproar. In vain did the friar invoke every saint in 
the calendar, and the holy Virgin into the bargain; 
every time he mentioned a name of the kind it was 
like a fresh application of the spur, and made the Bel- 
ludo bound as high as a house. Through the remain- 
der of the night was the unlucky Fray Simon carried 
•ny'9^ • ^'-^ ^'i^7' V 5 hither and thither, and whither he would not, until 
-^- -^a ^\ ;v i^^. every bone in his body ached, and he suffered a loss 
of leather too grievous to be mentioned. At length 
the crowdng of a cock gave the signal of returning 
day. At the sound the goblin steed wheeled about, and 
galloped back for his tower. Again he scoured the 

192 



# :-^PA 










//■% 













THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



Vivarrambia, the Zacatin, the Plaza Nueva, and the 
avenue of fountains, the seven dogs yelling and bark- 
ing, and leaping up, and snapping at the heels of the 
terrified friar. The first streak of day had just ap- 
peared as they reached the tower; here the goblin 
steed kicked up his heels, sent the friar a somerset 
tl^rough the air, plunged into the dark vault followed 
by the infernal pack, and a profound silence succeeded 
to the late deafening clamor. 

Was ever so diabolcal a trick played off upon a 
holy friar? A peasant going to his labors at early 
dawn found the unfortunate Fray Simon lying under 
a fig-tree at the foot of the tower, but so bruised and 
bedeviled that he could neither speak nor move. He 
was conveyed with all care and tenderness to his cell, 
and the story went that he had been waylaid and mal- 
treated by robbers. A day or two elapsed before he 
recovered the use of his limbs ; he consoled himself, in 
the meantime, with the thoughts that though the 
mule with the treasure had escaped him, he had pre- 
viously had some rare pickings at the infidel spoils. 
His first care on being able to use his limbs, was to 
search beneath liis pallet, where he had secreted the 
myrtle wreath and the leathern pouches of gold ex- 
tracted from the piety of dame Sanchez. What was 
his dismay at finding the wreath, in effect, but a 
withered branch of myrtle, and the leathern pouches 
filled with sand and gravel ! 

13 193 

J: 








"^ i3 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

Fray Simon, with all his chagrin, had the discre- 
tion to hold his tongue, for to betray the secret might 
draw on him the ridicule of the public, and the punish- 
ment of his superior ; it was not until many years after- 
wards, on his death-bed, that he revealed to his con- 
fessor his nocturnal ride on the Belludo. 

Nothing was heard of Lope Sanchez for a long 
time after his disappearance from the Alhambra. His 
memory was always cherished as that of a merry com- 
panion, though it was feared, from the care and 
melancholy observed in his conduct shortly before his 
mysterious departure, that poverty and distress had 
driven him to some extremity. Some years after- 
wards one of his old companions, an invalid soldier, 
being at Malago, was knocked down and nearly run 
over by a coach and six. The caiTiage stopped; an 
old gentleman magnificently dressed, with a bag- wig 
and sword, stepi3ed out to assist the poor invalid. 
What was the astonishment of the latter to behold in 
this grand cavalier his old friend Lope Sanchez, who 
was actually celebrating the marriage of his daugh- 
ter Sanchica with one of the first grandees in the land. 

The carriage contained the bridal party. There 
was dame Sanchez, now grown as round as a barrel, 
and dressed out with feathers and jewels, and neck- 
PP^'^'^^f W ^^^^^ ^^ pearls, and necklaces of diamonds, and rings 
""^ f'si'^- on every finger, altogether a finery of apparel that 
had not been seen since the days of Queen Sheba. 

194 



/^' 





^-^•*^^" 
%)^^ 



THE TWO DISCREET STATUES 



The little Sanchica had now grown to be a woman, 
and for grace and beauty might have been mistaken 
for a duchess, if not a princess outright. The bride- 
groom sat beside her — rather a withered spindle- 
shanked little man, but this only proved him to be of 
the true-blue blood; a legitimate Spanish grandee 
being rarely above three cubits in stature. The match 
had been of the mother's making. 

Riches had not spoiled the heart of honest Lope. 
He kept his old comrade with him for several days; 
feasted him like a king, took him to plays and bull- 
fights, and at length sent him away rejoicing, with a 
big bag of money for himself, and another to be dis- 
tributed among his ancient messmates of the Alham- 
bra. 

Lope always gave out that a rich brother had died 
in America and left him heir to a copper mine; but 
the shrewd gossips of the Alhambra insist that his 
wealth was all derived from his having discovered the 
secret guarded by the two marble nymphs of the 
Alhambra. It is remarked that these very discreet 
statues continue, even unto the present day, with their 
eyes fixed most significantly on the same part of the 
wall; which leads many to suppose there is still some 
hidden treasure remaining there well worthy the at- 
tention of the enterprising traveller. Though others, 
and particularly all female visitors, regard them with 
great complacency as lasting monuments of the fact 
that women can keep a secret. 



195 




^^'■r::. 



,^XX'*^* 



Iiti-v « * tit ^ a !•> 







LEGEND OF 

DON MUNIO SANCHO DE HINOJOSA 








LEGEND OF DON MUNIO SANCHO 
DE HINOJOSA 

In the cloisters of the ancient Benedictine convent 
of San Domingo, at Silos, in Castile, are the moulder- 
ing yet magnificent monuments of the once powerful 
and chivalrous family of Hinojosa. Among these 
reclines the marble figure of a knight, in complete 
armor, with the hands pressed together, as if in prayer. 
On one side of his tomb is sculptured in relief a band 
of Christian cavaliers, capturing a cavalcade of male 
and female Moors ; on the other side, the same cava- 
liers are represented kneehng before an altar. The 
tomb, like most of the neighboring monuments, is 
almost in ruins, and the sculpture is nearly unintelli- 
gible, excepting to the keen eye of the antiquary. 
The story connected with the sepulchre, however, is 
still preserved in the old Spanish chronicles, and is to 
the following purport. 

In old times, several hundred years ago, there was 
a noble Castilian cavalier, named Don Munio Sancho 
de Hinojosa, lord of a border castle, which had stood 
the brunt of many a Moorish foray. He had seventy 
horsemen as his household troops, all of the ancient 
Castilian proof; stark warriors, hard riders, and men 

199 



:>., 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




/: a- 1 




of iron ; with these he scoured the Moorish lands, and 
made his name terrible throughout the borders. His 
castle hall was covered with banners, cimeters, and 
Moslem helms, the trophies of his prowess. Don 
Munio was, moreover, a keen huntsman; and rejoiced 
in hounds of all kinds, steeds for the chase, and hawks 
for the towering sport of falconry. When not en- 
gaged in warfare, his delight was to beat up the 
neighboring forests; and scarcely ever did he ride 
forth, without hound and horn, a boar-spear in his 
hand, or a hawk upon his fist, and an attendant train 
of huntsmen. 

His wife, Doiia Maria Palacin, was of a gentle 
and timid nature, little fitted to be the spouse of so 
hardy and adventurous a knight ; and many a tear did 
the poor lady shed, when he sallied forth upon his 
1^^^^^ daring enterprises, and many a prayer did she offer 
up for his safety. 

As this doughty cavalier was one day hunting, 
he stationed himself in a thicket, on the borders of a 
green glade of the forest, and dispersed his followers 
to rouse the game, and drive it toward his stand. He 
had not been here long, when a cavalcade of Moors, of 
both sexes, came prankling over the forest lawn. 
They were unarmed, and magnificently dressed in 
robes of tissue and embroidery, rich shawls of India, 
bracelets and anklets of gold, and jewels that sparkled 
in the sun. 

200 




DON MUNIO SANCHO DE HINOJOSA 



At the head of this gay cavalcade rode a youthful 
cavalier, superior to the rest in dignity and loftiness 
of demeanor, and in splendor of attire; beside him 
was a damsel, whose veil, blown aside by the breeze, 
displayed a face of surpassing beauty, and eyes cast 
down in maiden modestj^, yet beaming with tender- 
ness and joy. 

Don IVIunio thanked his stars for sending him such 
a prize, and exulted at the thought of bearing home 
to his wife the glittering spoils of these injfidels. 
Putting his hunting horn to his lips, he gave a blast 
that rung through the forest. His huntsmen came 
ruiming from all quarters, and the astonished Moors 
were surrounded and made captives. 

The beautiful Moor wrung her hands in despair, 
and her female attendants uttered the most piercing 
cries. The young Moorish cavalier alone retained 
self-possession. He inquired the name of the Chris- 
tian knight, who commanded this troop of horsemen. 
When told that it was Don Munio Sancho de Hino- 
josa, his countenance lighted up. Approaching that 
cavalier, and kissing his hand, " Don Munio Sancho," 
said he, " I have heard of your fame as a true and va- 
liant knight, terrible in arms, but schooled in the noble 
virtues of chivahy. Such do I trust to find you. In 
me you behold Abadil, son of a Moorish alcayde. I 
am on the way to celebrate my nuptials with this lady ; 
chance has thrown us in your power, but I confide in 

201 



if^ 











LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




your magnanimity. Take all our treasure and j ewels ; 
demand what ransom you think proper for our per- 
sons, but suffer us not to be insulted nor dishonored." 

When the good knight heard this appeal, and 
beheld the beautj;^ of the youthful pair, his heart was 
touched with tenderness and courtesy. " God forbid," 
said he, " that I should disturb such happy nuptials. 
My prisoners in troth shall ye be, for fifteen days, and 
immured within my castle, where I claim, as con- 
queror, the right of celebrating your espousals." 

So saying, he dispatches one of his fleetest horse- 
men in advance, to notify Dona Maria Palacin of the 
coming of this bridal party ; while he and his huntsmen 
escorted the cavalcade, not as captors, but as a guard 
of honor. As they drew near to the castle, the banners 
were hung out, and the trumpets sounded from the 
battlements ; and on their nearer approach, the draw- 
bridge was lowered, and Dona Maria came forth to 
meet them, attended by her ladies and knights, her 
pages and her minstrels. She took the young bride, 
Allifra, in her arms, kissed her with the tenderness of 
a sister, and conducted her into the castle. In the 
meantime, Don Munio sent forth missives in every 
direction, and had viands and dainties of all kinds col- 
lected from the country round; and the wedding of 
the Moorish lovers was celebrated with all possible 
state and festivity. For fifteen days, the castle was 
given up to joy and revelry. There were tilting and 

203 



DON MUNIO SANCHO DE HINOJOSA 



jousts at the ring, and bull-fights, and banquets, and 
dances to the sound of minstrelsy. When the fifteen 
days were at an end, he made the bride and bride- 
groom magnificent presents, and conducted them and 
their attendants safely beyond the borders. Such, in 
old times, were the courtesy and generosity of a Span- 
ish cavalier. 

Several years after this event, the king of Castile 
summoned his nobles to assist him in a campaign 
against the Moors. Don Munio Sancho was among 
the first to answer to the call, with seventy horsemen, 
all staunch and well-tried warriors. His wife, Dona 
Maria, hung about liis neck. "Alas, my lord!" 
exclaimed she, " how often wilt thou tempt thy fate, 
and when will thy thirst for glory be appeased ! " 

" One battle more," replied Don Munio, " one 
battle more, for the honor of Castile, and I here make 
a vow, that when this is over, I will lay by my sword, 
and repair with my cavaliers in pilgrimage to the 
sepulchre of our Lord at Jerusalem." The cavaliers 
all joined with him in the vow, and Dona Maria felt 
in some degree soothed in spirit; still, she saw with a 
heavy heart the departure of her husband, and 
watched his banner with wistful eyes, until it disap- 
peared among the trees of the forest. 

The king of Castile led his army to the plains of 
Almanara, where they encountered the Moorish host, 
near to Ucles. The battle was long and bloody; the 

203 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Christians repeatedly wavered, and were as often 
rallied by the energy of their commanders. Don 
Munio was covered with wounds, but refused to leave 
the field. The Christians at length gave way, and 
the king was hardly pressed, and in danger of being 
captiu'ed. 

Don Munio called upon his cavaliers to follow him 
to the rescue. " Now is the time," cried he, " to prove 
3^our loyalty. Fall to, like brave men ! We fight for 
the true faith, and if we lose our lives here, we gain a 
better life hereafter." 

Rushing with his men between the king and his 
pursuers, they checked the latter in their career, and 
gave time for their monarch to escape; but they fell 
victims to their loyalty. They all fought to the last 
gasp. Don Munio was singled out by a powerful 
Moorish knight, but having been wounded in the right 
arm, he fought to disadvantage, and was slain. The 
battle being over, the jMoor paused to possess himself 
of the spoils of this redoubtable Christian warrior. 
When he unlaced the helmet, however, and beheld the 
countenance of Don Munio, he gave a great cry, and 
smote his breast. "Woe is me!" cried he, " I have 
slain my benefactor! The flower of knightly virtue! 
the most magnanimous of cavaliers! " 

While the battle had been raging on the plain of 
Salamanara, Dona Maria Palacin remained in her 

204 







ibK^S^ 



fir 






DON MUNIO SANCHO DE HINOJOSA 



castle, a prey to the keenest anxiety. Her eyes were 
ever fixed on the road that led from the country of 
the Moors, and often she asked the watchman of the 
tower, " What seest thou? " 

One evening, at the shadowy hour of twilight, the 
warden sounded his horn. " I see," cried he, " a 
numerous train winding up the valley. There are 
mingled Moors and Christians. The banner of my 
lord is in the advance. Joyful tidings!" exclaimed 
the old senechal : " my lord returns in triumph, and 
brings captives ! " Then the castle courts rang with 
shouts of joy; and the standard was displayed, and 
the trumpets were sounded, and the draw-bridge was 
lowered, and Dona Maria went forth with her ladies, 
and her knights, and her pages, and her minstrels, to 
welcome her lord from the wars. But as the train 
drew nigh, she beheld a sumptuous bier, covered with 
black velvet, and on it lay a warrior, as if taking his 
repose: he lay in his armor, with his helmet on his 
head, and his sword in his hand, as one who had never 
been conquered, and around the bier were the escutch- 
eons of the house of Hinojosa. 

A number of Moorish cavaliers attended the bier, 
with emblems of mourning, and with dejected coun- 
tenances ; and their leader cast himself at the feet of 
Don Maria, and hid his face in his hands. She beheld 
in him the gallant Abadil, whom she had once wel- 
comed with his bride to her castle ; but who now came 

205 









LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







with the body of her lord, whom he had unknowingly 
slain in battle ! 

The sepulchre erected in the cloisters of the con- 
vent of San Domingo, was achieved at the expense of 
the Moor Abadil, as a feeble testimony of his grief 
for the death of the good knight Don Munio, and his 
reverence for his memory. The tender and faithful 
Dona Maria soon followed her lord to the tomb. On 
one of the stones of a small arch, beside his sepulchre, 
is the following simple inscription: " Uic jacet 
Maria Palacin, uxor Munonis Sancij De Finojosa" 
Here lies Maria Palacin, wife of Munio Sancho de 
Hinojosa. 

The legend of Don Munio Sancho does not con- 
clude with his death. On the same day on which the 
battle took place on the plain of Salmanara, a chaplain 
^^ of the Holy Temple at Jerusalem, while standing at 
"^"-•'^^the outer gate, beheld a train of Christian cavaliers 
\..r'«^ .-"''^^ advancing, as if in pilgrimage. The chaplain was a 
'^"'^'ii^^'S;^^^*^^^ ^^ Spain, and as the pilgrims approached, he 
knew the foremost to be Don Munio Sancho de Hino- 
josa, with whom he had been well acquainted in former 
times. Hastening to the patriarch, he told him of the 
honorable rank of the pilgrims at the gate. The 
patriarch, therefore, went forth with a grand proces- 
sion of priests and monks, and received the pilgrims 
with all due honor. There were seventy cavaliers, 

206 




DON MUNIO SANCHO DE HINOJOSA 



beside their leader, all stark and lofty warriors. They 
carried their hehnets in theii- hands, and their faces 
were deadly pale. They greeted no one, nor looked 
either to the right or to the left, but entered the chapel, 
and kneeling before the sepulchre of our Saviour, per- 
formed their orisons in silence. When they had con- 
cluded, they rose as if to depart, and the patriarch 
and his attendants advanced to speak to them, but 
they were no more to be seen. Every one mar\^elled 
what could be the meaning of this prodigy. The 
patriarch carefully noted down the day, and sent to 
Castile to learn tidings of Don Munio Sancho de 
Hinojosa. He received for reply, that on the very 
day specified, that worthy knight, with seventy of his 
followers, had been slain in battle. These, therefore, 
must have been the blessed spirits of those Christian 
warriors, come to fulfil their vow of pilgrimage to 
the Holy Sepulchre at Jerusalem. Such was Castilian 
faith, in the olden time, which kept its word, even 
beyond the grave. 

If any one should doubt of the miraculous appari- 
tion of these phantom knights, let him consult the 
History of the Kings of Castile and Leon, by the 
learned and pious Fray Prudencio de Sandoval, 
bishop of Pamplona, where he will find it recorded in 
the History of King Don Alonzo VI., on the hundred 
and second page. It is too precious a legend, to be 
hghtly abandoned to the doubter. 

207 



f'^/ 



"N-r 




/" ' '^hs^ 




1 w~\ 



THE LEGEND OF 

THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 




LEGEND OF THE 
ENCHANTED SOLDIER 

Everybody has heard of the Cave of St. Cyprian 
at Salamanca, where in old times judicial astronomy, 
necromancy, chiromancy, and other dark and dam- 
nable arts were secretly taught by an ancient sacris- 
tan ; or, as some will have it, by the devil himself, in 
that disguise. The cave has long been shut up and 
the very site of it forgotten; though, according to 
tradition, the entrance was somewhere about where 
the stone cross stands in the small square of the sem- 
inary of Carvajal; and this tradition appears in some 
degree corroborated by the circumstances of the fol- 
lowing story. 

There was at one time a student of Salamanca, 
Don Vicente by name, of that merry but mendicant 
class, who set out on the road to learning without a 
penny in pouch for the journey, and who, during 
college vacations, beg from town to town and village 
to village to raise funds to enable them to pursue their 
studies through the ensuing term. He was now about 
to set forth on his wanderings; and being somewhat 
musical, slung on his back a guitar with which to 

211 .. 





-.T. 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

amuse the villagers, and pay for a meal or a night's 
lodgings. 

As he passed by the stone cross in the seminary 
square, he pulled off his hat and made a short invoca- 
tion to St. Cyprian, for good luck; when casting his 
eyes upon the earth, he perceived something glitter 
at the foot of the cross. On picking it up, it proved 
to be a seal ring of mixed metal, in which gold and 
silver appeared to be blended. The seal bore as a 
device two triangles crossing each other, so as to form 
a star. This device is said to be a cabalistic sign, 
invented by King Solomon the wise, and of mighty 
power in all cases of enchantment; but the honest 
student, being neither sage nor conjurer, knew noth- 
ing of the matter. He took the ring as a present 
from St. Cyprian in reward of his prayer; slipped it 
on his finger, made a bow to the cross, and strumming 
his guitar, set oif merrily on his wandering. 

The life of a mendicant student in Spain is not the 
most miserable in the world; especially if he has any 
i talent at making himself agreeable. He rambles at 
large from village to village, and city to cit}^, wherever 
curiosity or caprice may conduct him. The country 
curates, who, for the most part, have been mendicant 
students in their time, give him shelter for the night, 
and a comfortable meal, and often enrich him with 
several quartos, or half -pence in the morning. As he 
presents himself from door to door in the streets of 



r^ 








^^^-^ 



THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



the cities, he meets with no harsh rebuif , no chiHing 
contempt, for there is no disgrace attending his men- 
dicity^, many of the most learned men in Spain having 
commenced their career in this manner ; but if, like the 
student in question, he is a good looking varlet and a 
merry companion; and, above all, if he can play the 
guitar, he is sure of a hearty welcome among the 
peasants, and smiles and favors from their wives and 
daughters. 

In this way, then, did our ragged and musical son 
of learning make his way over half the kingdom; with 
the fixed determination to visit the famous city of 
Granada before liis return. Sometimes he was gath- 
ered for the night into the fold of some village pastor; 
sometimes he was sheltered under the humble but hos- 
pitable roof of the peasant. Seated at the cottage 
door with his guitar, he delighted the simple folk with 
his ditties; or striking up a fandango or bolero, set 
the brown country lads and lasses dancing in the 
mellow twilight. In the morning he departed with 
kind words from host and hostess, and kind looks and, 
peradventure, a squeeze of the hand from the 
daughter. 

At length he arrived at the great object of his 
musical vagabondizing, the far-famed city of Gra- 
nada, and hailed with wonder and delight its Moorish 
towers, its lovely vega and its snowy mountains 
glistering tlii*ough a summer atmosphere. It is need- 

213 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




less to say with what eager curiosity he entered its 
gates and wandered through its streets, and gazed 
upon its oriental monuments. Every female face 
peering through a window or beaming from a balcony 
was to him a Zorayda or a Zelinda, nor could he meet 
a stately dame on the Alameda but he was ready to 
fancy her a Moorish princess, and to spread his 
student's robe beneath her feet. 

His musical talent, his happy humor, his youth and 
his good looks, won him a universal welcome in spite 
of his ragged robes, and for several days he led a 
gay life in the old Moorish capital and its environs. 
One of his occasional haunts was the fountain of 
Avellanos, in the valley of the Darro. It is one of 
the popular resorts of Granada, and has been so since 
the days of the Moors; and here the student had an 
opportunity of pursuing his studies of female beauty ; 
a branch of study to which he was a little prone. 

Here he would take his seat with his guitar, impro- 
vise love-ditties to admiring groups of majos and 
majas, or prompt with his music the ever ready dance. 
He was thus engaged one evening, when he beheld a 
padre of the church advancing at whose approach 
every one touched the hat. He was evidently a man 
of consequence; he certainty was a mirror of good if 
not of holy living ; robust and rosy faced, and breath- 
ing at every pore, with the warmth of the weather and 
the exercise of the walk. As he passed along he would 

214 



THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



every now and then draw a maravedi out of his pocket 
and bestow it on a beggar, with an air of signal benefi- 
cence. " Ah, the blessed father! " would be the cry; 
" long life to him, and may he soon be a bishop ! " 

To aid his steps in ascending the hill he leaned 
gently now and then on the arm of a handmaid, evi- 
dently the pet-lamb of this kindest of pastors. Ah, 
such a damsel! Andalus from head to foot: from 
the rose in her hair, to the fairy shoe and lacework 
stocking ; Andalus in every moment ; in every undula- 
tion of the body : — ripe, melting Andalus ! — But then 
so modest ! — so shy ! — ever, with downcast eyes, listen- 
ing to the words of the padre ; or, if by chance she let 
flash a side glance, it was suddenly checked and her 
eyes once more cast to the ground. 

The good padre looked benignantly on the com- 
pany about the fountain, and took his seat with some 
emphasis on a stone bench, while the handmaid 
hastened to bring him a glass of sparkling water. He 
sipped it deliberately and with a relish, tempering it 
with one of those spongy pieces of frosted eggs and 
sugar so dear to Spanish epicures, and on returning 
the glass to the hand of the damsel pinched her cheek 
with infinite loving-kindness. 

" Ah, the good pastor! " whispered the student to ^/(pW- 
himself ; " what a happiness would it be to be gathered //M . * 
into his fold with such a pet-lamb for a companion! " 'llm-^ 

But no such good fare was likely to befall him. 4fi 

215 m 





LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




In vain he essayed those powers of pleasing which he 
had found so irresistible with country curates and 
country lasses. Never had he touched his guitar with 
such skill ; never had he poured forth more soul-mov- 
ing ditties, but he had no longer a country curate or 
country lass to deal with. The worthy priest evidently 
did not rehsh music, and the modest damsel never 
raised her eyes from the ground. They remained but 
a short time at the fountain ; the good padre hastened 
their return to Granada. The damsel gave the 
student one shy glance in retiring; but it plucked the 
heart out of his bosom! 

He inquired about them after they had gone. 
Padre Tomas was one of the saints of Granada, a 
model of regularity; punctual in his hour of rising; 
his hour of taking a paseo for an appetite ; his hours 
of eating; his hour of taking liis siesta; his hour of 
playing his game of tresillo, of an evening with some 
of the dames of the Cathedral circle; his hour of 
supping, and his hour of retiring to rest, to gather 
fresh strength for another day's round of similar 
duties. He had an easy sleek mule for his riding ; a 
matronly housekeeper skilled in preparing tit-bits for 
his table; and the pet lamb, to smooth his pillow at 
night and bring him his chocolate in the morning. 

Adieu now to the gay, thoughtless life of the 
student ; the side glance of a bright eye had been the 
undoing of him. Day and night he could not get the 

216 






THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



image of this most modest damsel out of his mind. 
He sought the mansion of the padre. Alas! it was 
above the class of houses accessible to a strolling 
student like himself. The worth}^ padre had no sym- 
pathy with him ; he had never been Estudiante sopista, 
obliged to sing for his supper. He blockaded the 
house by day, catching a glance of the damsel now 
and then as she appeared at a casement; but these 
glances only fed his flame without encouraging his 
hope. He serenaded her balcony at night, and at one 
time was flattered by the appearance of something 
white at a window. Alas, it was only the nightcap of 
the padre. 

Never was lover more devoted ; never damsel more 
shy: the poor student was reduced to despair. At 
length arrived the eve of St. John, when the lower 
classes of Granada swarm into the country, dance 
away the afternoon, and pass midsummer's night on 
the banks of the Darro and the Xenil. Happy are 
they who on this eventful night can wash their faces 
in those waters just as the Cathedral bell tells mid- 
night; for at that precise moment they have a beau- 
tifying power. The student, having nothing to do, 
sufl'ered himself to be carried away by the holiday- 
seeking throng until he found himself in the narrow 
vallej'^ of the Darro, below the lofty hill and ruddy 
towers of the Alhambra. The dry bed of the river; 
the rocks which border it ; the terraced gardens which 

217 



if^ 







LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




overhang' it were alive with variegated groups, danc- 
ing under the vines and fig-trees to the sound of the 
guitar and castanets. 

The student remained for some time in doleful 
dumps, leaning against one of the huge misshapen 
stone pomegranates which adorn the ends of the little 
bridge over the Darro. He cast a wistful glance upon 
the merry scene, where every cavalier had his dame; 
or, to speak more appropriately, every Jack his Jill; 
sighed at his own solitary state, a victim to the black 
eye of the most unapproachable of damsels, and re- 
pined at his ragged garb, which seemed to shut the 
gate of hope against him. 

By degrees his attention was attracted to a neigh- 
bor equally solitary with himself. This was a tall 
soldier, of a stern aspect and grizzled beard, who 
seemed posted as a sentry at the opposite pomegran- 
ate. His face was bronzed by time ; he was arrayed in 
ancient Spanish armor, with buckler and lance, and 
stood immovable as a statue. What surprised the 
student was, that though thus strangely equipped, 
he was totally unnoticed by the passing throng, albeit 
that manjT- almost brushed against him. 

" This is a city of old-time peculiarities," thought 
the student, " and doubtless this is one of them with 
which the inhabitants are too familiar to be surprised." 
His own curiosity, however, was awakened, and being 
of a social disposition, he accosted the soldier. 

218 



THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



" A rare old suit of armor that which you wear, 
comrade. May I ask what corps you belong to? " 

The soldier gasped out a reply from a pair of jaws 
which seemed to have rusted on their hinges. 

" The royal guard of Ferdinand and Isabella." 

*' Santa Maria! Why, it is three centuries since 
that corps was in service." 

" And for three centuries have I been mounting 
guard. Now I trust my tour of duty draws to a close. 
Dost thou desire fortune? " 

The student held up his tattered cloak in reply. 

" I understand thee. If thou hast faith and 
courage, follow me, and thy fortune is made." 

" Softly, comrade, to follow thee would require 
small courage in one who has nothing to lose but life 
and an old guitar, neither of much value ; but my faith 
is of a different matter, and not to be put in tempta- 
tion. If it be any criminal act by which I am to mend 
my fortune, think not my ragged cloak will make me 
undertake it." 

The soldier turned on him a look of high dis- 
pleasure. " My sword," said he, " has never been 
drawn but in the cause of the faith and the throne. 
I am a Cristiano vie jo, trust in me and fear no evil." 

The student followed liim wondering. He ob- 
served that no one heeded their conversation, and that 
the soldier made his way through the various groups 
of idlers unnoticed, as if invisible. 

219 




'■•^^S^fia, 



LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




Crossing the bridge, the soldier led the way by a 
narrow and steep path past a Moorish mill and aque- 
duct, and up the ravine which separates the domains 
of the Generalife from those of the Alhambra. The 
last ray of the sun shone upon the red battlements of 
the latter, which beetled far above; and the convent 
bells were proclaiming the festival of the ensuing day. 
The ravine was overshadowed by fig-trees, vines, and 
myrtles, and the outer towers and walls of the for- 
tress. It was dark and lonely, and the twilight-loving 
bats began to flit about. At length the soldier halted 
at a remote and ruined tower, apparently intended 
to guard a Moorish aqueduct. He stinick the foun- 
dation with the but-end of liis spear. A rumbling 
sound was heard, and the solid stones yawned apart, 
leaving an opening as wide as a door. 

" Enter in the name of the Holy Trinity," said 
the soldier, " and fear nothing." The student's heart 
quaked, but he made the sign of the cross, muttered 
his Ave Maria, and followed his mysterious guide into 
a deep vault cut out of the solid rock under the tower, 
and covered with Arabic inscriptions. The soldier 
pointed to a stone seat hewn along one side of the 
vault. " Behold," said he, " my couch for three hun- 
dred years." The bewildered student tried to force a 
joke. " By the blessed St. Anthony," said he, " but 
you must have slept soundly, considering the hardness 
of your couch." 







THE RAVINE WAS OVERSHADOWED. IT WAS DARK 



i 



THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



" On the contrary, sleep has been a stranger to 
these eyes ; incessant watchfulness has been my doom, 
Listen to my lot. I was one of the royal guards of 
Ferdinand and Isabella; but was taken prisoner by 
the INIoors in one of their sorties, and confined a cap- 
tive in this tower. When preparations were made to 
surrender the fortress to the Christian sovereigns, I 
was prevailed upon by an Alfaqui, a Moorish priest, 
to aid him in secreting some of the treasures of 
Boabdil in this vault. I was justly punished for my 
fault. The Alfaqui was an African necromancer, and 
by his infernal arts cast a spell upon me — to guard his 
treasures. Something must have happened to him, 
for he never returned, and here have I remained ever 
since, buried alive. Years and years have rolled away ; 
earthquakes have shaken this hill ; I have heard stone 
by stone of the tower above tumbhng to the ground, 
in the natural operation of time; but the spell-bound 
walls of this vault set both time and earthquakes at 
defiance. 

" Once every hundred years, on the festival of St. 
John, the enchantment ceases to have thorough sway ; 
I am permitted to go forth and post myself upon the 
bridge of the Darro, where you met me, waiting until 
some one shall arrive who may have power to break 
this magic spell. I have hitherto mounted guard there 
in vain. I walk as in a cloud, concealed from mortal A 
sight. You are the first to accost me for now three i] ...,;;.. 

221 _ ! 









LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




hundred years. I behold the reason. I see on your 
finger the seal-ring of Solomon the wise, which is 
proof against all enchantment. With you it remains 
to deliver me from this awful dungeon, or to leave me 
to keep guard here for another hundred years. 

The student listened to this tale in mute wonder- 
ment. He had heard many tales of treasure shut up 
under strong enchantment in the vaults of the Alham- 
bra, but had treated them as fables. He now felt the 
value of the seal-ring which had, in a manner, been 
given to him by St. Cyprian. Still, though armed by 
so potent a talisman, it was an awful thing to find 
himself tete-a-tete in such a place with an enchanted 
^^j^^ 4=r soldier, M^ho, according to the laws of nature, ought to 
have been quietly in his grave for nearly three cen- 
turies. 

A personage of this kind, however, was quite out 
of the ordinary run, and not to be trifled with, and he 
assured him he might rely upon his friendship and 
-^ good will to do everything in his power for his deliv- 
erance. 

" I trust to a motive more powerful than friend- 
ship," said the soldier. 

He pointed to a ponderous iron coiFer, secured 
by locks inscribed with Arabic characters. " That 
coffer," said he, " contains countless treasure in gold 
and jewels, and precious stones. Break the magic 
spell by which I am enthralled, and one-half of this 
treasure shall be thine." 







THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



"But how am I to do it? " 

" The aid of a Christian priest, and a Christian 
maid is necessary. The priest to exorcise the powers 
of darkness; the damsel to touch this chest with the 
seal of Solomon. This must be done at night. But 
have a care. This is solemn work, and not to be 
effected by the carnal-minded. The priest must be a 
Crisitano vie jo, a model of sanctity ; and must mortify 
the flesh before he comes here, by a rigorous fast of 
four-and-twenty hours; and as to the maiden, she 
must be above reproach, and proof against tempta- 
tion. Linger not in finding such aid. In three days 
my furlough is at an end ; if not delivered before mid- '^- 
night of the third, I shall have to mount guard for "' 
another century. 

" Fear not," said the student, " I have in my eye 
the very priest and damsel you describe ; but how am 
I to regain admission to this tower? " 

*' The seal of Solomon will open the way for thee." 

The student issued forth from the tower much 
more gayly than he had entered. The wall closed 
behind him, and remained solid as before. 

The next morning he repaired boldly to the man- 
sion of the priest, no longer a poor strolling student, 
thrumming his way with a guitar ; but an ambassador 
from the shadowy world, with enchanted treasures to 
bestow. No particulars are told of his negotiation, 
excepting that the zeal of the worthy priest was easily 

223 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 



m 1 



1^^ 






7-V^:%.^ 




kindled at the idea of rescuing an old soldier of the 
faith and a strong box of King Chico from the very 
clutches of Satan; and then what alms might be dis- 
pensed, what churches built, and how many poor rela- 
tives enriched with the Moorish treasure! 

As to the immaculate handmaid, she was ready to 
lend her hand, which was all that was required, to the 
pious work; and if a shy glance now and then might 
be believed, the ambassador began to find favor in her 
modest eyes. 

The greatest difficulty, however, was the fast to 
which the good Padre had to subject himself. Twice 
he attempted it, and twice the flesh was too strong for 
the spirit. It was only on the third day that he was 
enabled to withstand the temptations of the cupboard ; 
but it was still a question whether he would hold out 
until the spell was broken. 

At a late hour of the night the party groped their 
way up the ravine by the light of a lantern, and bear- 
ing a basket with provisions for exorcising the demon 
of hunger so soon as the other demons should be laid 
in the Red Sea. 

The seal of Solomon opened their way into the 
tower. They found the soldier seated on the en- 
chanted strong-box, awaiting their arrival. The 
exorcism was performed in due style. The damsel 
advanced and touched the locks of the coiFer with the 
seal of Solomon. The lid flew open ; and such treas- 

224 









^3 -^ 



THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 



ures of gold and jewels and precious stones as flashed 
upon the eye ! 

" Here's cut and come again! " cried the student, 
exultingly, as he proceeded to cram his pockets. 

" Fairly and softly," exclaimed the soldier. " Let 
us get the coffer out entire, and then divide." 

They accordingly^ went to work with might and 
main; but it was a difficult task; the chest was enor- 
mously heavj^and had been imbedded there for cen- 
turies. While they were thus employed the good 
dominie drew on one side and made a vigorous on- 
slaught on the basket, by way of exorcising the demon 
of hunger which was raging in liis entrails. In a little 
while a fat capon was devoured, and washed down by 
a deep potation of Val de penas; and, by way of 
grace after meat, he gave a kind-hearted kiss to the 
pet lamb who w^aited on him. It was quietly done in 
a corner, but the tell-tale walls babbled it forth as if in 
triumph. Never was chaste salute more awful in its 
effects. At the sound the soldier gave a great cry of 
despair ; the coffer, which was half raised, fell back in 
its place and was locked once more. Priest, student, 
and damsel, found themselves outside of the tower, 
the wall of which closed with a thundering j ar. Alas ! 
the good Padre had broken his fast too soon ! 

When recovered from his surprise, the student 
would have re-entered the tower, but learnt to his dis- 

15 225 







if"- 




LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 

may that the damsel, in her fright, had let fall the 
seal of Solomon ; it remained within the vault. 

In a word, the cathedral bell tolled midnight; the 
spell was renewed; the soldier was doomed to mount 
guard for another hundred years, and there he and 
the treasure remain to this day — and all because the 
kind-hearted Padre kissed his handmaid. " Ah 
father! father!" said the student, shaking his head 
ruefully, as they returned down the ravine, " I fear 
there was less of the saint than the sinner in that 
kiss!" 




Thus ends the legend as far as it has been authen- 
ticated. There is a tradition, however, that the 
student had brought off treasure enough in his pocket 
to set him up in the world; that he prospered in his 
aif airs, that the worthy Padre gave him the pet lamb 
in marriage, by way of amends for the blunder in the 
f^ ^ '"^^ vault; that the immaculate damsel proved a pattern 
for wives as she had been for handmaids, and bore her 
j) husband a numerous progeny ; that the first was a 
^ wonder ; it was born seven months after her marriage, 
j.'-^C-^^'^ and though a seven months' boy, was the sturdiest of 
the flock. The rest were all born in the ordinary 
course of time. 

The story of the enchanted soldier remains one of 

siJ j>^|;^^;^ the popular traditions of Granada, though told in a 

variety of ways; the common people afRi'm that he 

226 



/ 



>' 






H l^^^ll 







THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 

still mounts guard on mid-summer eve, beside the 
gigantic stone pomegranate on the Bridge of the 
Darro ; but remains invisible excepting to such lucky 
mortal as may possess the seal of Solomon. 



NOTES TO THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER. 

Among the ancient superstitions of Spain were those of the 
existence of profound caverns in which the magic arts were 
taught, either by the devil in person, or some sage devoted to 
his service. One of the most famous of these caves was at 
Salamanca. Don Francisco de Torreblanca makes mention of it 
in the first book of his work on Magic, C. 2, No. 4. The devil 
was said to play the part of Oracle there; giving replies to those 
who repaired thither to propound fateful questions, as in the 
celebrated cave of Trophonius. Don Francisco, though he records 
this story, does not put faith in it : he gives it, however, as certain, 
that a Sacristan, named Clement Potosi, taught secretly the magic 
arts in that cave. Padre Feyjoo, who inquired into the matter, 
reports it as a vulgar belief, that the devil himself taught those 
arts there ; admitting only seven disciples at a time, one of whom, 
to be determined by lot, was to be devoted to him body and soul 
forever. Among one of these sets of students was a young man, 
son of the Marquis de Villena, on whom, after having accom- 
plished his studies, the lot fell. He succeeded, however, in 
cheating the devil; leaving him his shadow instead of his body. 

Don Juan de Dies, Professor of Humanities in the Univer- 
sity, in the early part of the last century, gives the following 
version of the story, extracted, as he says, from an ancient manu- 
script. It will be perceived he has marred the supernatural part 
of the tale, and ejected the devil from it altogether. 

As to the fable of the Cave of San Cyprian, says he, all 



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LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 




thnt wc have been able to verify is, that where the stone cross 
stanrls, in the small square or place called by the name of the 
Sciuinary of Carvajal, there was the parochial church of San 
Cy])rian. A descent of twenty steps led down to a subterranean 
Sacristy, spacious and vaulted like a cave. Here a Sacristan 
once taught magic, judicial astrology, geomancy, hydromancy, 
pyromancy, acromancy, cliiromancy, necromancy, etc. 

The extract goes on to state that seven students engaged at 
a time with the Sacristan, at a fixed stipend. Lots were cast 
among them wliich one of th(;ir number sliould pay for the whole, 
with the understanding that he on whom the lot fell, if he did not 
pay pr()mj)lly, shotdd be detained in a cliamber of the Sacristy, 
uTilil tl»c funds were forthcoming. This became thenceforth the 
usual practice. 

On one occasion tlic lot fell on Henry de Villena, son of tlie 
marquis of tlie same name. He having perceived that there liad 
been trick and shuffling in the casting of the lot, and suspecting 
the Sacristan to be cognizant thereof, refused to pay. He was 
forlliwith left in limbo. It so ha2:)pened, that in a dark corner 
of the Sacristy was a huge jar or earthen reservoir for water, 
which was cracked and CTupty. In this the youth contrived to 
conceal himself. The Sacristan returned at night with a servant, 
bringing lights and a supper. Unlocking the door, they found 
no one in the vault, and a book of magic lying open on the table. 
They retreated in dismay, leaving the door open, by which 
Villena made his escape. The story went about that through 
magic he had made himself invisible. — Tlie reader has now both 
versions of the story, and may make liis choice. I will oidy 
observe that the sages of the Alhambra incline to the diabolical 

OIU'. 

This Henry de Villena flourished in the time of Juan II, 
King of Castile, of whom he was uncle. He became famous for 
his knowledge of the Natural Sciences; and hence, in that 

228 



THE ENCHANTED SOLDIER 

ignorant age was stigmatized as a necromancer. Fernan Perez 
de Guzman, in his account of distinguislied men, gives him credit 
for great learning, but says he devoted himself to the arts of 
divination, the interpretation of dreams, of signs, and portents. 
At the death of Villena, his library fell into the Iiands of the 
King, who was warn(;d that it contained books treating of miagic, 
and not proper to be read. King Juan ordered tliat tlu y should 
be transported in carts to the residence of a reverend ])relate to 
be examined. The jirclate was less learned than devout. Some 
of the books treated of mathematics, others of aslroiioiny, with 
figures and diagrams, and planetary signs; others of chemistry 
or alchemy, with foreign and mystic words. All these were 
necromancy in the eyes of the pious prelate, and the books were 
consigned to the flames, like tlie library of Don Quixote. 



The Seal of Solomon. — The device consists of two equi- 
lateral triangles, interlaced so as to form a star, and surrounded 
by a circle. According to Arab tradition, when the Most High 
gave Solomon the choice of blessings, and he chose wisdom, there 
came from heaven a ring, on which this device was engraven. 
This mystic talisman was the arcanum of his wisdom, felicity, 
and grandeur; by this he governed and prospered. In conse- 
quence of a temporary lapse from virtue he lost the ring in the 
sea, and was at once reduced to the level of ordinary men. By 
penitence and prayer he made his peace with tlie Deity, was 
permitted to find his ring again in the belly of a fish, and thus 
recovered his celestial gifts. That he might not utterly lose 
them again, he eomnuiiiieated to others the secret of the mar- 
vellous ring. 

This symbolical seal we are told was sacrilegiously used by 
the Mahometan infidels ; and before them by the Arabian idola- 
ters, and before them by the Hebrews, for " diabolical enter- 
prises and abominable superstitions." Those wlio wish to be 

229 



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LEGENDS OF THE ALHAMBRA 







more thoroughly informed on the subject, will do well to consult 
the learned Father Athanasius Kirker's treatise on the Cabala 
Sarracenic'a. 

A word more to the curious reader. There are many persons 
in these skeptical times, who affect to deride everything con- 
nected with the occult sciences, or black art; who have no faith 
in the efficacy of conjurations, incantations or divinations; and 
who stoutly contend that such things never had existence. To 
such determined unbelievers the testimony of past ages is as 
nothing; they require the evidence of their own senses, and deny 
that such arts and practices have prevailed in days of yore, simply 
because they meet with no instance of them in the present day. 
They cannot perceive that, as the world became versed in the 
natural sciences, the supernatural became superfluous and fell 
into disuse; and that the hardy inventions of art superseded the 
mysteries of magic. Still, say the enlightened few, those mystic 
powers exist, though in a latent state, and untasked by the 
ingenuity of man. A talisman is still a talisman, possessing all 
its indwelling and awful properties; though it may have lain 
dormant for ages at the bottom of the sea, or in the dusty cabinet 
of the antiquary. 
■^ *r'"'.'^Y^ The signet of Solomon the Wise, for instance, is well known 

•*"* '".V>>».J»»^^^to have held potent control over genii, demons, and enchantments; 
now who will positively assert that the same mystic signet, 
wherever it may exist, does not at the present moment possess 
the same marvellous virtues which distinguished it in the olden 
time? Let those who doubt repair to Salamanca, delve into the 
cave of San Cyprian, explore its hidden secrets, and decide. As 
to those who will not be at the pains of such investigation, let 
them substitute faith for incredulity, and receive with honest 
credence the foregoing legend. 




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